All for Love
by M.Kasshoku
Summary: Megumi finds trouble with a foreign gang, as well as with her heart when she finds out how far Sanosuke will go to keep her safe.
1. Chapter 1

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates**

.

          Chapter One

          Tae looked at her watch noting the late hour. Time to close up. At the usual spot, she found Sagara Sanosuke sitting with Takani Megumi-alone. They had come hours earlier with the rest of the Kenshin-Gumi who had departed long ago leaving these two to sit among one another's company. Tae watched them in awe, wondering how it is that they had remained civil with each other for so many hours. Not one cross word was passed between the two. In fact, not one word was passed between them at all. They sat in absolute silence, Megumi nibbling on some tempura, and Sano watching her. 

          Tae was uneasy about approaching them, but she did want to close up already, and the rest of the Kenshin-Gumi must be wondering where they were. So she wrote up their bill, and made her way over to their table. Megumi had finished her meal, and she wiped at her painted lips with a napkin. She looked up when Tae reached the table, and she smiled.

          "I'm sorry. You must want to close up now. Is that the bill?" 

          Tae nodded. "Yes, here you go," she said and passed the paper over to Megumi. A hand slid next to hers, and slipped the bill right out of her fingers. Tae and Megumi stopped to stare at Sanosuke. He stared back. 

          "I've got this one," he said.  

          Megumi widened her eyes. "Are you serious?" 

          Sano fished into his pockets, and handed a stunned Tae, the money for their bill. He looked sheepishly up at her when she took it. "I'll give you the rest of my tab another time?" Tae snapped out of her shock, and narrowed her eyes. "I knew this was too good to be true," she muttered, as she turned and left them. 

          Megumi moved to stand, and Sano jumped to his feet. She glanced at him and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for dinner."

          Sano shrugged, and scratched the back of his head. "Sure. No sweat." He looked at her now, and his eyes grew dark for one brief moment.  "It's late. I'll walk you home." Megumi's breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice. Deep and gruff like it always was. Yet she noticed a certain formality to it, as if he were watching how he said those words_. Oh my! Could Sanosuke have finally learned some manners? First he pays for dinner and now he is actually speaking to me with some respect. I wonder what has come over him_. She dared a glance up at him, and her thoughts froze. The way he looked at her made her nervous, and she stiffened when she felt his arm encircle her waist. 

          "It's chilly tonight." He stated simply, as if that explained his behavior. He pulled her gently to him, just a bit so that her hip brushed lightly against his. That touch caused a pleasant shiver to course through her spine, so much so that the blood rushed to her cheeks. Sanosuke had never acted this way with her. She had to admit that she was charmed by it. She was also alert to anything else he may decide to spring on her. All she needed was for him to dare to kiss her. _Hmmm, dinner or not I should watch myself. If this Baka tries anything funny I'll have to use those Jujitsu moves that Kaoru taught me.    _

          Sano led Megumi out of the restaurant, and they walked slowly down the street heading toward her home. Sano was happy to have Megumi so close to him for once. He had always wanted the chance to touch her, however brief it was. The scent of her hair teased his senses, and he leaned over her a bit to savor it. His arm around her waist itched to move further, so that he could just pull her closer to him. He wondered if she realized how difficult it was for him to walk beside her; how difficult it was to keep himself from turning her in his arms, and stealing a kiss from her lips. _Man, what's she thinking right now? She's probably wondering how she's going to hurt me if I try anything. If I try to..._

          He found himself leaning further down, so that his face was just above her hair. She turned her head to look up at him inquiringly. Those beautiful dark eyes had him instantly enchanted. He felt as if something went inside of him to take possession of his soul. His free hand rose to cup her face; and then he pressed his lips to hers. His tongue slipped through her slightly parted lips, probing the inner recesses of her dainty mouth so that he could finally taste her. His knees felt like water, ready to collapse beneath him. She was soft, and so unbearably sweet. He pulled away briefly, to feel the cool night air against his burning cheeks. It made him realize that he was not dreaming, and so he kissed her deeply, holding her face within both of his hands now, so that he could indulge himself on her delicate mouth. He could stay and kiss her for centuries. He wanted to do just that, but he had to pull away, and he did so reluctantly. Yet he felt the urge to indulge himself once again. Her hand striking his cheek stopped him dead. 

          "What the hell are you doing, Baka!" she hissed, looking at him with flames in her eyes. Sano awoke from his delirium and rubbed his cheek. He swallowed hard, his pride going down roughly, as he silently stared at her. His gaze went deep into her, pleading for forgiveness, and some kind of understanding. Megumi wanted to understand. She wanted to know why he decided to take a step that they were obviously not prepared for. She wanted to know why he would not stop looking at her as if she were not real at all. She wanted to know a lot more at that moment but she didn't want to ask. She refused to let herself be pulled in by Sano. She had to be the level headed one among them. She scowled at him, and took one step back. 

          "I will say goodnight to you here, Sanosuke. I'll walk the remainder of the way alone."

           Sanosuke's face reddened, and he looked away from the Fox's angry glare. He felt foolish, but not to the extent that he should have. He only felt foolish at having lost his composure with her. He always found it difficult to control his desire for her, yet he did nonetheless- that is until now. He and the Fox always had a good time arguing with each other, but he always felt something beneath their heated debates, something that she tried desperately to keep from being exposed. He looked at her now, into her ice-cold gaze, and he knew that she was hiding it again. 

          He sighed deeply, and stood straight, determined. "I won't let you walk out here alone." 

          Megumi was not going to have it. Once she made a decision, she expected that to be the end of the discussion. Yet in this case she wanted it to be the end of more than just a discussion. She had to get away, fast.      

"And I won't let you order me around like some common wench. I've already made my decision. Now, go home!" she demanded firmly, and turned around quickly to storm away from him. She rushed up the street, running from the look he had in his eyes when he kissed her, and running from the feel of his lips. She had liked the kiss. She had liked it so much that she ran from it, because she feared what lay behind it. She had felt what it was the lay within the heart of Sanosuke, and she could not accept the fact that he could actually love her. Not after what she had done in the past. _I am responsible for the death of one of his best friends. How can he hold any kind of love for me?, _she thought as she reached the door to her home, and collapsed against it, out of breath, and feeling as if she would suffocate in her own thoughts. 

She leaned her head against her door, and groaned softly, "Please, find someone else to love. I'm not capable of returning however much you bestow on me." She opened the door to her home, and slipped inside, but before she closed the door, she caught a glimpse of a figure standing just ten feet before her. She gasped when she realized that it was Sanosuke, and she marveled at how she had not sensed his presence behind her. She felt herself shiver, as she said in a quavering voice, "I told you to go home. Why are you here?"

          Sanosuke looked thoughtfully at her. "It's my duty to protect you, Doc." Then he gave her a sly smile as he turned to leave, and said over his shoulder, "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. No one takes care of my broken bones the way that you do." And with that he sauntered off to disappear as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Megumi bewildered, but sorry that he was gone. She closed her door and leaned against it for support. Her mind was filled with images of Sanosuke. She was going to have a tough time going to sleep. She just knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment. 

Chapter Two

          The Kamiya Dojo was alive with racket when Megumi stepped inside with Dr. Genzai, and the little ones, Ayame-chan, and Suzume-chan. She peeked into the training room and saw Kaoru and Yahiko sparring, Yahiko leaping to strike and Kaoru blocking him. Megumi had to admit that Yahiko was very good. Perhaps he will fulfill his dream of becoming as strong as Kenshin.

          That reminded her. She moved away from the door, and went to search for her Ken-san. She found him bent over, doing laundry and singing softly to himself. He sensed her presence and looked up to greet her.

          "Megumi-dono, its nice to see you again. You just missed, Sanosuke," he said turning back to the wash. That name struck her motionless. She opened her mouth to speak, fearing her voice suffered the same fate. Her words came out in a hoarse whisper. "Was he looking for me?"

          Kenshin noticed the tension in her voice and glanced up at her. "He did ask about you. I'm sorry I didn't ask where he was going. I didn't know that you were going to stop by."

          Megumi snapped out of her trance. She didn't want Kenshin to be so suspicious. "Oh Ken-san, don't be silly. I didn't come here to see Sano." This was the truth, although she did not rule out the possibility of his presence at the Dojo. He was here so often she wondered why he did not just move in with the rest of them. But she had to admit that some part of her was sorry that she had missed him. As much as he had unnerved her the night before, she found herself yearning for his presence.

          Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Mmmhmm. I think he mentioned something about coming back for his jacket. He's walking around topless right now." 

          Megumi snapped back again. "What? Really? When?" Her eyes were wide, as she stared at Kenshin, but then her cheeks burned red when she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. 

          He smiled innocently at her. "He's not. But you do want to see him."

          Megumi lowered her head so that Kenshin could not see the truth that lay beyond her gaze. She was thinking about the kiss again, the gentle way that he held her as his lips brushed over hers. Megumi shook her head to get the image out of her mind, but it was no use. Sanosuke had left his mark on her. 

          Kenshin stood up and placed his hand on Megumi's shoulder. "I believe that he is thinking about you as well, Megumi-dono. Whatever happened between you two last night put him in great spirits this morning. Don't feel as if you should not be happy about any of this. This is a good thing. For both of you." Kenshin smiled again, and Megumi lost herself. Kenshin had such insight into the depths of one's heart that it was uncanny. She sank down, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she buried her face in his shoulder. She hated herself at that moment. She was weak, for showing this side of herself to Kenshin. She was weak for allowing herself to be kissed by Sanosuke. But most of all she was weak to the emotions that were churning within her. They were at war inside of her, and she knew that she could not fight them off much longer. She was losing the battle, for her heart had been speared, and she was now hopelessly in love with that Baka Chickenhead, Sanosuke. 

          Megumi raised her head, and apologized to Kenshin for leaving tear marks on his shirt. She took out a handkerchief and wiped at them. Kenshin chuckled, and pushed her hand away gently. "It's okay. Tears fade away quickly. Are you alright?"

          Megumi nodded. _Tears fade away quickly. But my feelings for Sanosuke will not._ She sighed and finally gave in. 

          "Megumi-dono. Sanosuke has an odd schedule. He is very hard to keep track of nowadays. Wait for him to come to you. He will definitely want to see you again." 

          Megumi nodded again. She marveled at how omniscient he was, and leaned toward him, to kiss him on the cheek. Kenshin's eyes grew wide, and he stumbled back. "ORO?" 

          Megumi giggled. "Ken-san. I just want to thank you. You are so sweet to be here for me." Her fox ears popped up. "Are you worried about Kaoru catching you?"  

           "I'm worried about what she'll do to me. Megumi-dono, please do not kiss me," Kenshin pleaded as he saw the shadow of Kaoru coming from inside the Dojo. The next thing he knew he had a red lip mark on his cheek, close to his lips, and Kaoru was screaming at him to explain himself. He glanced around and spotted the crafty fox making her escape- and then he saw stars.

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          The last of the patients went home, and Megumi informed Dr. Genzai that it was time to close for the day. He nodded, and then retreated to his rooms to play with Suzume, and Ayame. As she went about straightening up she had the odd feeling that she was being watched. She bent over to pick up a toy that had been left behind by a child, and she felt it intensify. She stood up quickly, and looked around the room. She glanced out the window and cocked her head to listen for any strange noises. Nothing stood out as unusual, but she could not shake the sensation of a pair of hard, evil eyes bearing right through her. She shivered, and decided to forget about it. _I'm just being paraniod, _she tried to convince herself, and left the office for the day. 

          She bid Dr. Genzai and the little girls goodnight, and made her way to town to grab some dinner. She wanted to get back before it became dark, so she hurried down the street heading for the Akabeko Restaurant. She closed her eyes for a moment, to think about the delicious meal she was soon going to enjoy, when she felt a hand grab hold of her hair and yank her head back. She screamed as she fell down onto her back, but it was muffled by a dirty hand that covered her mouth. She felt her heart beat uncontrollably as she felt a body crawl on top of her, and tug at her kimono. Her eyes saw that it was a rough looking young man, someone she had never seen before, and he had a patch over one eye. The other eye was blood shot, and evil down to the nerve. The man had his hand under the material now, and he handled her breasts roughly, squeezing the flesh painfully between his fingers, and pinching her nipples so hard that she screamed beneath the hand. His hand tightened around her mouth, and he leaned his face down so all she saw was the eye staring into both of hers. 

          "Bitch, don't scream. If somebody comes to spoil this little party I'm gonna have to kill them, and then you. Just lie there and let me have my fun, baby. You are so hot. A total babe. We're all gonna have a turn with you before it's time to off you." He took his hand from her mouth, and licked her lips. Megumi felt like vomiting, and she pulled her head back, wishing that the ground were soft enough to sink into. That made the man angry, and he slapped her across the face.           "Bitch, don't move unless I tell you to! So you're a doctor, huh? I heard that you used to do some illegal shit before you became a doctor. I wonder if this town knows about your past. That you were a drug making whore. Maybe they should know. They won't want to bring their families to a dirty slut like you. Not after I'm finished with you," he said and forced her mouth open so that he could stick his tongue inside. 

          Megumi felt herself choking, and she felt more material tear away.

She was motionless beneath his heavy body, her arms pinned to her sides, and her legs forced open by his knee. She felt him settle between her, and his hardness made her tears come forth. He covered her mouth with his hand again and she began to cry beneath it. She wanted to fight him off, or make some move so that he might kill her. She wanted to die, rather than endure this. She wanted to close her eyes forever, right then and there. She did not want this to be her last memory before she was gone. She looked up at him, her tears flowing down the sides of her face and into her hair. Her gaze begged of him to put her out of her misery. 

          He looked at her with total hatred and moved his hand roughly over her face to cover her eyes. She felt a piece of cloth stuffed into her mouth, almost down her throat. She wondered why she had not died yet. She wanted to be gone before he started. She felt fingers creep between her legs and stroke her lightly, as if he wanted to arouse her. Megumi bit into the cloth wanting to chew through and cut her tongue in half. All she could do now was pray. Pray for help. Or pray for death. 

          The weight of the man's body was off her now, before he could do his damage. The hand was whipped away from her face, but her eyes remained closed. She heard the man gasp, and struggle with someone. She heard the sound of a blade coming out of its sheath, and then she heard the horrible sound of sliced flesh. Megumi kept her eyes closed for an image came before her eyes, one that was so nice to look at. She was at the Dojo with Kenshin, Kaoru, and everyone else, and they were having a good time insulting Kaoru about her cooking. 

She did not open her eyes when she heard footsteps come toward her, and she did not care if they were from a friend or another thug. She concentrated on her image, and it was all that she saw now. The cloth was pulled out of her mouth. She did not feel the strong hands pull her off the ground, and she did not feel the muscles of the chest that her cheek pressed against, as she was carried away from the scene. She did take in the scent of the individual, and it reminded her of someone. "Sanosuke," she whispered as she sank down deeper into her trance until she saw, and heard absolutely nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Three

          Her eyes burst open, and she bolted upright to scream at the top of her lungs. Megumi heard footsteps scurrying in her direction, and Sanosuke came through the door and nearly threw himself onto the futon beside her. He took her hand, and stroked it lovingly. "Shhh, Megumi. You're alright now." He leaned toward her, and pulled her to him. Megumi let him pull her so that she could lay her head on his shoulder. There was that familiar smell again, and her arms immediately went around him. She held him tightly, and burst into tears. He had saved her.

          His hands held her gently as she shook from her weeping, and he unconsciously leaned into her to rest his cheek against her hair. The scent of her hair hypnotized him once again, and he wondered why someone would want to harm a creature as beautiful as Megumi. She was like an angel to him, and he swore that he would protect her-even if his life depended on it. He had not watched her closely enough and so this incident had occurred. He could not forgive himself for that. 

          Megumi pulled away from Sanosuke, and wiped at her eyes with the edge of the blanket. Sano, pushed her hand away, and glided his fingers over those tears to wipe them away. She took his hand into hers, and kissed it. "I'm glad that it was you who saved me." 

          The feel of her lips on his flesh caused his spine to grow tense with pleasure. _How could anyone want to hurt you? _, he thought as he moved his hand to caress her cheek. Then he pulled his hand back quickly as if what he did was wrong. Someone had just attempted to violate her, and here he was taking liberties on her as well. Sano shook his head, and cursed himself for being so insensitive. Then he glanced into Megumi's eyes. She had so many questions.

          "What happened to me?" Her voice was barely audible. Her tears had dried, and left stains on her cheeks. "Does someone want to see me hurt, or dead? Is that why that man attacked me?"

          Sano couldn't believe it. She was blaming herself! He had to set her straight. "You did nothing to deserve this, Fox. There is nothing that you can do to deserve any of this. I won't let this happen to you again! Not ever! I took care of this one, and I'll take care of the others as well, if any. No one will ever lay a hand you again!"

          Megumi's eyes widened, and she moved a few inches away from Sanosuke. He had fire in his eyes, as he spoke those heated words, and they burned through, to imbed themselves deep within her. She thought of what he had said last night, _"It is my duty to protect you.", _and she wondered if this had some truth to it. Sanosuke's gaze bore into her, and he moved to take her hand again. His strong fingers handled her delicate ones with care. "I'm sorry, if I am making you uncomfortable, Megumi. I have to protect you with everything that I have, for it is my duty. I will die if I don't. And I may die since I do." Sanosuke, sighed and rose to leave. The look on Megumi's face was making him nervous, since he had been foolish enough to reveal so much. He cursed himself again. _It is better that she does not know. Let her heal, and get on with her life. You can watch her from afar, so that you don't interfere. It will be best for everyone. _He glanced at her again, and smiled. "You should rest now. You have to get better soon. Your patients are waiting for you. And I may need you to mend a bone or two," he added shyly, turning on his heels, and heading for the door. Her voice made him stop.

          "You dressed my wounds, Sanosuke. When did you learn how to do that?" He turned to look over his shoulder. She eyed him curiously. He shrugged, and raised one hand to scratch the back of his head. 

          "I've been learning bits and pieces of things. Don't want to bother you for every little thing now. Why don't you get some sleep? You should be safe here. I'll be back as soon as I can, and I'll check on you then." And with that he turned and left the room, sliding the door shut behind him. 

          As soon as Megumi heard his footsteps fade, she was on her feet, rushing for the door, and ripping it open. Sano knew something and she wanted answers. She stepped through the door, and was ready to burst forward, when an unfamiliar voice stopped her dead. It was a woman's voice. 

          "How is she doing? The dear must have had such a scare."

          Megumi went forward on tiptoe until she was able to peek around the corner into the next room. Sanosuke stood with his back to her, and a woman kneeled on the floor taking her meal. There was another place setting for someone else to join her. Megumi looked around and noticed that the house was not familiar. She began to grow tense with worry, as she glanced back at Sanosuke. He had bent over a table to retrieve something- and Megumi's breath caught in her throat. Sano lifted a Katana sword from the table and slid it into its sheath. Then he attached it to his belt. The unnatural thing hung at his side, as if it belonged there. 

          "Megumi will be okay. She's tough. Thank you for letting her stay here. This is very kind of you, and your husband." Sano said, and then added absently, "And thank you for cleaning my sword."

          The woman glanced up at him. "You did a number on that man. I doubt that he survived." 

          "That guy got what he deserved. Whether he survived or not doesn't make a goddamn difference to me." Sano cracked his knuckles. "I'll take him on again." 

          The woman smiled and shook her head. "You really care about this woman don't you? Well, you don't have to worry about her. I'll take good care of her. Now you should hurry up and go before my husband decides to come here to get you himself, and trust me, you're not going to want that. Now get going." 

          Sano turned and headed for the door. Megumi noticed that his walk was different, more formal, as if he practiced such a stride. She felt herself slowly becoming uneasy. She did not like any of this at all. She saw Sano pause, and he turned to the woman again.

          "Is there any message that you want me to give to your husband?" 

          The woman rolled her eyes, and let out a deep sigh. "Just tell him that his Soba noodles have gone cold again." Sano smirked, gave her a thumbs up, and Megumi saw him finally leave the house. She leaned against the wall, for she thought that her knees were going to give way beneath her. This was too much for her to take all at once. She should probably get some sleep. Perhaps this was all a dream. 

          "I have your meal waiting if you would like it now."

          Megumi gasped. She peeked around the corner again, and saw that the woman looked right at her. Her eyes widened, and her face turned red, at having gotten caught. The woman smiled. "You look like you can use some food." She stood up, and walked over to where Megumi stood. She took Megumi's hand. "Then, by Sano's orders, you must get some rest." Her soft hand tugged on Megumi's. "Please, come and join me."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The door was unlocked, and Megumi slipped inside of Sanosuke's apartment, closing the door quietly. If anyone saw her, they would surely alert Sano that he had an intruder. She would be here for a while, so she settled into his futon. It was late, and she had waited until Tokio-san had fallen asleep before she had made her escape. She felt terrible about sneaking out but she had many questions for Sanosuke, and he was holding back.

Megumi felt her eyelids grow heavy. She wondered how long it would take Sanosuke to arrive when he found out that she had gone. He would be angry with her, no doubt. She yawned and stretched out on the futon. _A few minutes of sleep is all I need, _she thought as she moved to her side and immediately sank deep into the depths of her dream world. The last thought she had was of his lips pressed softly onto hers...

...She thought she had heard the door slide open. Her dreams were intense and full of images of Sanosuke. He kissed her, touched her, and lay down beside her to finally...

The images were so real. She felt the mat sink beside her, and she felt the presence of someone hovering over her. She saw an image of Sano lowering himself once again, and she said his name in anticipation...

"Oi Fox, are you dreaming about me?" Megumi's eyes fluttered open, and she saw Sanosuke hovering over, his face leaned into her neck so that he could whisper into her ear. The scent of him overwhelmed her, and she blushed. He pulled himself up, and gazed knowingly down at her.

She blushed. "You have been on my mind a lot lately. Especially since you rescued me. I don't know how I am going to thank you."

Sano shook his head. "Don't feel as if you have to. I told you. It is my duty. You're my foxy doctor, and I don't want anyone messing with you."

Her blush faded and she became serious. "You say that like it's an actual job. I keep thinking that there are things that you're not telling me, because I must admit that waking up in Saitou Hajime's house was very unusual for me," Sano was silent. "And I'm still not over seeing you actually wear a Katana on your belt."

_Goddamn, she saw that! _he thought angrily cursing his stupidity.

Sano pushed himself back so that he sat at the foot of his mat. He faced away from her, fuming quietly. She was being too curious.

"There are things that you don't need to know."

"I already know a lot of things. It's too late to keep anything else from me." Megumi stated calmly. "If my life is in danger, then I want to know about it."

Sano turned around to face Megumi, and she pulled back momentarily. His eyes seemed to glow with rage as he glared at her. "I should have told Tokio-san to tie you to the futon! You think you know a lot? You didn't know enough to stay where it is safe. You left the house even though it would be dangerous. You walked these streets at this hour, and you could have been attacked again. I left you there because I knew that no one would think to look for you in Saitou's house. I also needed time to decide what I was going to do; how I was going to keep you from getting killed. The rape attempt was only the beginning."

She was much more curious now. "What do you mean?"

He hated to break this kind of news to her, but she was asking for it. "Some group wants to see you dead. Not only dead, but completely disgraced as a doctor-along with the memory of your father."

Megumi felt her heart stop. Her father? Why would they want to disgrace her father? What had he done?

Sano sighed to calm himself down. He read the questions all over her face. "Your father was a well known doctor. Your family is known for its background in medicine, so naturally everyone wants to see a Takani when they are sick. Well, one day your father saw a patient whom he would never be able to forget. The person was an American, and he became sick with cholera. Naturally, he died since cholera is very deadly and there is no way to treat it; but with that came the trouble.

"The American was from a wealthy plantation family in the Southern part of the United States. He was here with his father and the old man blamed Takani-sensei for his son's death. He said that as a doctor Takani-sensei did not try hard enough to help his son. He actually thought that his money could buy some miracle cure for that disease. He could not understand why the young man was locked away in a shack far from the town so that no one else would fall prey. He could not understand why he was not allowed to go near his son. He _would_ not understand, and so when his son died the war began. He declared all over town that Takani-sensei had killed his son, for it was out of pure neglect that his son had died. He demanded compensation for his loss, and so he wanted one member of the Takani family to work for him on his plantation back in the States. He wanted you."

Megumi gasped. "I must have been a twelve years old, then. I was already observing my father by that time, and I knew everything about what went on in that clinic. I knew of all the patients who came in. This must be a mistake. My father had no records of an American with cholera. I filed them all myself. They have the wrong person, Sanosuke." Sano shook his head. "Your father was so obsessed with that particular file that he kept it to himself. He desperately wanted to help that man, and it hurt that he was unable to do anything for him. Megumi, I'd like to believe that they have the wrong family, but your family's name is well known in the medical world, and there is only one Takani family of Aizu. He wants you now, like he wanted you ten years ago. Except, now he just wants to ruin your family's name, and kill you." Sano stood up and walked over to his bag. He retrieved a thin folder, and handed it to Megumi.

"This is the file. His name was Hank Austin, and he was from Mississippi. He was twenty years old, engaged to a young lady named Annabelle Myers, and heir to, Austin Manor, which was their plantation. Hank was the only child to Henry Austin, the current master of Austin Manor, and from what I have learned, pretty crooked with his farm and slave dealings. Henry was unable to follow through with his plans against your father because he feared the Ishin Government, and if he caused any trouble in Japan, he would taste the sword of the Hitokiri Battousai."

Sano paused a moment. He wished that he did not have to tell her all of this. He wanted to take care of it quietly, so as not to worry her. He looked at her, to see if she was all right. He wanted so badly for her to be happy. He hated this situation. It was so petty, and full of shit. His foot just itched to meet Mr. Austin's ass.

Sano met Megumi's eyes. "Henry Austin could do nothing ten years ago in the Ishin government, and now he believes that he can get away with murder in the Meiji Era. He has a lot of influence with his money, so he has aligned himself with the worst of Japan, one of who speaks rather good English. He thinks that he is unstoppable. Once he is done with you he will continue with the rest of Tokyo, until he has completely taken control. What an asshole," Sano added, and shrugged his shoulders. "Now that you know, will you cooperate with me, so that I may keep you safe?"

Megumi was silent for a moment. Then she said in a low voice, "How long were you going to keep this information from me? Don't you think that I would want to do something to defend myself? I don't want to stand back while you rescue me all of the time. I thank you for your help Sanosuke, but I want to fight this man who insists on tormenting me."

Sano raised his eyebrows as he stared in awe at the Foxlady. She could be really determined in her anger, but she wasn't being realistic. She had no idea at all. "Fox, I'm here because I don't want you to deal with that man on your own. I will help you whether you like it or not."

She pondered that for a moment. "Will it only be you, or will you bring that psycho cop to help me as well? Since when did it become normal for him to be involved in my problems-and when did you become so chummy with that heartless Wolf?"

_Again with the questions_._ She's really going to bust my balls about this, _Sano thought as he gave the Fox a weak smile. He had no idea why he chose to grace her with such a gesture but her curiosity about the Wolf really made him want to laugh. He had no idea how to answer her- he was still asking himself that same question. He had been for the past year and a half. He shook his head and decided that there was no way out of this. He has to be honest with her about everything.

"Megumi, like I told you before, there are things that you don't need to know, but I don't want to keep anything from you anymore. You deserve to hear it all."

She nodded and placed her hand on his. "Tell me," she said in a whisper that struck him right in the heart. He couldn't hold back anymore.

"I work for the Secret Police under Fujita Goro's command. We all know Inspector Fujita as Saitou Hajime, former Captain of the Shinsengumi's Third Division. I began to work for Saitou when I found out that he had survived the blast in Shishio Makoto's arena. I had come to a realization that I respected that bastard and so I sought him out one day to see if he wanted to pick up where he and I had left off in our fight two years ago. It took me a while but I eventually found him stationed in Tokyo, and as before he was spying on Kenshin. He was determined to get Kenshin into another sword fight, and I still wanted to kick his ass for messing up my shoulder.

"But as it turned out he purposely came to Tokyo to seek Kenshin's help on a case. An American was threatening the current state of the Meiji Era, and he wanted to start by harassing a certain doctor friend of mine." Sano stopped for a moment to reflect on that day, one year and half ago.

The tall, thin frame stood by the entrance of the Police Department as if he was expecting a visitor. He held a cigarette between his fingers as his amber eyes regarded Sanosuke coolly. He smirked and turned his back to him. "What do you want, dumbass. I happen to be very busy today. Get out of my face unless you're going to help me with this case. You may find it rather interesting. The Fox is being targeted by a piece of American scum. Care to rescue her?" He turned to glance over his shoulder.

"Targeted? Why?" Sano asked. He had been so shocked. He wanted details. He wanted to kick ass as soon as possible. But the Wolf had other ideas.

"I don't know, Ahou. That would explain why the police is investigating the case. I have a lot of work to do. Go away and come back when I get a vacation day." He turned to walk back into the building, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

Sano saw red all over that damned Wolf. "Oi! I'm not finished talking to you! If Megumi is in danger then you better start talking or you're going to have to resume the fight that _you_ started with me six months ago!" Sano was on fire. He was ready to tear into the Wolf and he knew he would win this time. His Futae No Kiwami would crumble any Gatotsu strike Saitou used against him. Saitou stopped and turned again. He had the most serene expression on his face that Sano actually found himself growing uneasy. The Wolf really was a master manipulator.

"Instead of fighting me, why not fight that American? He has a rather powerful gang, but I'm sure that you can take them on. That is, with the proper training of course."

Sano knotted his brows together. "What do you mean? I trained enough before the fight in Kyoto. I can take that American. Bring him on!"

Saitou shook his head slowly. "You don't understand. I'm not accepting any help from you unless it's officially sanctioned by the Police Department. In other words, you have to work for me. Dumbass."

Sano's face twisted momentarily into a scowl. _That smug bastard! He knew just how to hook me in_, he thought and let his face relax before Megumi noticed. But she was looking so closely at his face, he doubted that she missed anything. He told her the rest of his story as she continued to look at him with the most impassive expression he had ever seen on her face. She was so hard to read right now; he was able to pick up more information from her when she was keeping her secret about her drug dealings with Kanryu. He wondered if this was all too much for her.

"Megumi, I don't know what you're thinking now, but I hope you can understand why I did this. Saitou and I have the same thought in mind-we want to protect the government. But, I have one other thing in mind. I want to protect you."

Sano stopped and he moved to sit beside Megumi again. He took her hand in his, and boldly kissed her fingers. She smiled in spite of the thoughts that raced within, and she stroked his cheek with one finger. She loved being this close to Sano, and she loved that he had become so gentle. But there was so much to learn about him now it was as if he was an absolute stranger. He had just revealed quite a bit about himself. Perhaps this was her opportunity to let him in on one of her own secrets.

Sano still had Megumi's hand so he traced kisses into her palm, and continued up along her arm now, tracing his lips up the sleeve of her kimono, until he reached the crook of her neck. Megumi did not expect this. A tingle went up and down her spine when she felt his lips brush the line of her jaw, and his tongue dart out to lick her lips. Her eyes grew heavy and she felt his lips close over hers finally pulling her into his desire. She pulled herself back against the pillow, and he came down with her, kissing her lips over and over again. His body pressed down against her, and she felt his hot skin through her clothes. If she was going to object to anything before, it left her mind now for Sano's kisses brought all of her feelings back.

He pressed himself closer, and she slid her arms around him, moving her hands up under his gi to trail her fingers over the muscles of his back. Sano shivered at her feathery touches, and broke away suddenly. He almost jumped off of her as he made his way for the door, but instead of leaving he stood there, his back to her, and his shoulders rising and falling to the rhythm of his deep breaths. He thought he would hyperventilate. He felt foolish right now, and cringed at the look that Megumi would have on her face if he turned around. He had gone too far. She had been attacked just hours ago, and here he was trying to seduce her. _God, I should go to jail. I'm no better than that rapist!, _he thought angrily, planning to make up for this with hefty hours of unpaid overtime.

Sano readied himself. He was going to turn around, and fall down on his knees in apologies to Megumi. Maybe she would have some mercy. He felt a hand slip under his gi. Fingers trailed lightly over his spine, and his mind drifted off momentarily into the depths of his psyche, to the area where he always imagined himself kissing every inch of Megumi's body. Something stirred within him, and Megumi noticed.

"Sanosuke, you like this too much to stop." She was directly behind him now, standing on her tiptoes, and pressing herself against his back. Her hands came around him to grip his chest, as she pulled him closer, and he felt her burning lips against the back of his neck. Sano's knees buckled slightly, allowing Megumi to reach higher, and nuzzle the nape of his neck. A groan escaped him as he sank down lower, and he reached out to hold himself up against the door. He couldn't do this. He had to protect her with everything he had. He just couldn't do this!

Sano felt her body slide down against his, until she was on her knees, before him. He looked down at her, his face showing how anxious he was, and Megumi smiled. Beyond that smile, he saw her carnal thoughts churning within. She took off her kimono. The sight of her flesh stirred him completely. She rose to her feet now, rubbing her naked body against him, and trailing her lips over the flesh that peeked through the opening of his gi jacket. When her hot, wet lips pressed against the lobe of his ear Sano thought he would lose his mind. He knew he should push her away, but she was making it so difficult.

"This isn't wrong, Sano. It's not wrong at all," Megumi breathed, pushing his jacket open over his shoulders and sliding it down his arms, letting it fall to the floor next to her kimono. Free of the jacket, Sano felt his reservations fade away. He pulled her body to his; her arms went instantly around him holding onto her savior, afraid that he would disappear and leave her to be alone once again. She never wanted to see him go; she wanted to be with him always.

Sano felt his body quiver beneath her touch. His eyes darkened with desire as he leaned in and kissed her ravenously. As they made their way back to his futon his mind raced with the realization of what he truly felt for her. He would suffer the blade of a Katana if it meant that she would be safe...he loved her that much.


	5. Chapter 5

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Five

          Things were different now. Sanosuke lay beside her breathing softly in his sleep, and Megumi could not help but feel afraid. So much had happened today. So much had been learned. Megumi had a difficult time adjusting to the circumstances. She still could not believe that any of this had happened. _What came over me? _she wondered to herself, as she turned to Sano's sleeping form, and traced a finger down his spine. He moaned quietly, but he did not awaken. Perhaps he was too involved with his dream. Perhaps he thought that what they had just shared was a dream. 

          Megumi rose from the futon, and began to dress. As much as she wanted to stay, she needed to find some answers. She still believed that Sanosuke was keeping something from her. He had not explained why he decided to work for a government that he hated so much. This she could not understand, and she was still uneasy about what had happened earlier. The rape attempt; the Katana; and the sound of death. Did Sanosuke kill that man? She had refused to look, but she was sure that he had died. The sound of his flesh tearing, and his blood dripping-these would haunt her thoughts for weeks. 

          She looked to Sano's sleeping form one last time before she made her departure. _There are some things that I need to know about you, Sanosuke, for I have surrendered my heart...and I have to know that you will not cause it to bleed. _And with that, she made her trip into the darkness, knowing that she was in danger of an attack, but risking it nonetheless. She knew exactly whom she wanted to talk to, and if need be, she would drag her dying carcass to him.

          Almost 2AM, with no plans to go home anytime soon. He felt as if he had to wait for someone, and so he sat back in his chair, lit cigarette after cigarette, and puffed away until he saw whom it was that he waited for. She opened the office door without knocking, and walked toward him with determination piercing through her dark eyes. She regarded him with contempt as she stopped at the foot of his desk and glared down at him. He smirked up at her, the cigarette smoke making spirals around his head.

          "Why are you out of your cage, Fox? I gave that dumbass specific orders to keep you on guard at all times. How could you be so dumb to walk around in the middle of the night?"

          Megumi stood her ground against Saitou Hajime. She was not going to let him intimidate her. She ignored his question, and slapped him with one of her own. "Saitou-san. Don't you have a wife to go home to?"

          He stopped in mid puff and glanced at her. "Eh?"

          "Well, it was not my intention to wander this far, but since you were not at home I had to make my way through these dangerous streets to find you. I have something on my mind."

          "I have a hundred things on my mind and I don't need to add to it, 'a stupid fox getting herself killed'."  Saitou stood up. "I'm taking you back to Roosterboy."  

          Megumi fumed for a moment wondering why this man still insisted on using that name to refer to Sanosuke. Had he any respect for an officer who he, himself trained? She pushed that thought out of her mind so that she could concentrate on how she was going to outsmart this Wolf. From what Sanosuke described, he could be very clever and apparently nothing went by him.  She pressed her arms against her sides and held her chin high meeting his stone gaze with one of her own. 

          "I'm not going anywhere."

          Saitou narrowed his eyes, and took one last drag from the cigarette before pressing it into the ashtray. "If you refuse to cooperate, I will make sure that you pay the most extreme consequences."    

Megumi didn't flinch. "You forget how extreme I am willing to go for the sake of those that I care for. If I have to die for Sanosuke, then that is exactly what I will do. I came here because I want information." This man was insufferable, and she feared she would lose her patience with him. He couldn't possibly understand what she wanted to know, but she had to try. She had to know. 

          Saitou was intrigued now. He smelled it on her-she was in love with that stupid rooster boy. _Yare yare. No way to get out of this one, _he thought and took his seat again. Megumi took the seat facing him. 

          "There is much to tell, Kitsune. This could take a while," he informed her, lighting another cigarette.    

"I don't need all the information. I know why Sano decided to work for you-"

          "You know nothing of why he decided to work for me. This goes far deeper than his desire to be stronger. It all connects to one person, and that would be you."

          Megumi was struck cold by those words. Hearing it from Sano's explanation was different than hearing it from the blunt statement that came from Saitou. Was she so clueless that she needed some psycho cop to point out the obvious?

          She opened her mouth to speak, but Saitou cut her off.  "It all connects to you because this man, Henry Austin has been in and out of Japan for the past year and a half planning his personal war against you. But I believe that rooster of yours has informed you that it will not end with you. He plans to leave his mark on Tokyo, and perhaps the rest of Japan. He seems to think that we are inferior with our swords, and lack of military weaponry, which they have an abundance of. He is driven by money. He has lots of it, and he wants more."

          Megumi looked perplexed.  "I don't understand. What does his desire for money have to do with me? I have none for him to claim."

          Saitou chuckled.  "Your father apparently messed up his chance at claiming a huge fortune through his son. He was going to marry an heiress whose father planned to sign half of his oil company to Henry Austin. But that would only happen if his son and the girl wed one another. Since the boy is dead, that deal withered, and Henry Austin loses out on a fortune."

          "And he blames my father for this. How petty, and selfish." Megumi had flames behind her stare.  "Why was he in Japan ten years ago?"

          "Opium. He sold it in the Southern states of America, and throughout the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean."

          Megumi shuddered in disgust. "He is such a horrible man. I have never heard of him until now. Is he known among the officials of Japan?"

          Saitou nodded.  "But they're not worried about him. He can be handled on a local level by my department. He is pretty well known among the Yakuza of Japan. They have no respect for him, but they work for his money whenever he comes to town."

          Megumi sat silently for a moment. She still could not understand. 

          "So, I know the history. Now why did you want Sanosuke involved?" she asked.

          Saitou answered the question with another chuckle. His expression was unmistakably evil. It enraged Megumi.

          "Why him?" she asked, more forcefully this time, the venom tingeing her voice as she lashed out at him. 

          Saitou raised his eyebrows. He was naturally unmoved by the outburst, but the determined gleam in her eyes caused him to believe the statement she had made earlier. She would indeed die for the damned Rooster. He shook his head slowly. _Maybe she should know what she's getting herself into_, he thought finally giving in. He lit another cigarette and then he continued. 

          "I hate to admit it, but that Rooster impresses me. I thought that I could use him in Downtown Tokyo. He knows everyone so he can spot a stranger within ten miles. He's a good cop. No one knows that he's a cop-which is what makes him so good."

          Megumi glared at Saitou.  "I hate to break this to you Saitou-san, but that Rooster blew his cover."

          Saitou smirked at her. If she wasn't so annoyingly sly he could actually begin to like her. "I see that we weren't able to hide his secret for very long. Well, I guess it's time to let it all out. I used the situation with Henry Austin to lure your Rooster," Saitou began, "He still had ties to his former Yakuza days, and I thought that he would be useful to this investigation. He took the bait faster than I expected him to, and in so doing he became a part of my Secret Police Unit. Now he oversees all operations in Downtown Tokyo, under me, and he dispenses officers as he sees fit. You never noticed it but he had an entire squad watching you from afar. He wanted to make sure that you were safe. That is until Henry Austin finally came to Tokyo last month, which is when he decided to take over those duties and watch over you himself. But I'm afraid that he has gotten himself much too involved in this situation."  Saitou stopped a moment, and glanced at Megumi knowingly.  "Like I said, he did all of this for you."

          Megumi looked down at the floor. Saitou had revealed what she was afraid of. Sanosuke had put himself in danger on account of her. He had endured a grueling training, and possibly committed murders in the name of justice just so he could protect her. She thought about the rape attempt, and wondered if indeed that man had been killed. 

          "I trained him to follow my code of justice: AKU. SOKU. ZAN. Killing is inevitable," Saitou whispered, as if he had read her thoughts. But he had read it in the expression on her face. Her features were tinged with guilt, for she felt that this was yet another death that she was responsible for. 

          Saitou sighed.  "Is this what you wanted to hear? Your beloved is an officer of the highest rank now. He is part of my exclusive team of officers. He carries a katana, which means that he may need to kill whenever sees it necessary to do so, and for you he felt that it was. Don't look so disappointed. I doubt that he took any pleasure out of it, which is actually quite disappointing. But that is how he is. He has been hanging around the Battousai too much, I guess."  Saitou finished his cigarette.  "Now what do you plan to do, Kitsune? Does this change things between you both?"

          The fire in Megumi's gaze slowly grew until it finally burst through. She hated the Wolf. "You made him into a killer!" she accused, her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw ached.

          Saitou shook his head.  "I was merely a guide to make him stronger. You really should be proud of him. He has turned into a fine warrior, and his love for you was what drove him so far. You should feel honored."

          The fire burned out of control.  "How can I feel honored? One who had once taken the words of Kenshin to heart now goes by the code of the Shinsen-Gumi! He had never killed before! He never had the heart to do such a thing!"

          "Love makes a man do things he would not normally attempt. His devotion to you indescribable."

          Megumi immediately felt the tears in her eyes, and the fire was gone. _This can't be the reason why he has chosen to do this. There has to be something else. He can't be in this because of me, _she thought to herself, but the more she pondered it, the more closely the realization came. She looked to Saitou who had stood up, and made his way around the desk. He extended his arm, leading the way to the door.

          "It's late, and you should go, before he finds that you're nowhere around."  Saitou extended his hand, uncharacteristically the gentleman.  "Come, I will take you to him."  

          Megumi looked closely at the hand that hung before her eyes, at the lines that ran across the palm in all directions. She wondered where Sanosuke fit among those lines. She spotted the calluses, that lined the palm and she wondered if Sano had these same markings on his hand. So much had changed about him. She wouldn't be surprised if he took up smoking. If she had to deal with the Wolf each day she would find herself drinking sake until she could no longer stand straight. 

She got up from her chair and waved Saitou's hand away. "Get away from me. I will escort myself if you don't mind. You have told me what I wanted to hear, and I thank you for that. I must make my way out of here now."

          Saitou shook his head sadly at her.  "Ahou! You haven't heard any of what I have just told you! You are in danger, and you are not to walk these streets by yourself. If you get into trouble that will be a year and a half of investigation that will all go into the trash. I don't know how long Henry Austin would keep you alive. The police may be too late to save you, and Roosterboy would have done all of this work for nothing. He really is trying his best to keep you safe. Don't make it any harder than it has to be."

          Megumi looked down at the floor. She knew that Saitou was right, and she didn't want to make Sanosuke's job harder. He had already done enough for her. She looked up again, and nodded her head. "Fine, I'll go with you."

           Another smirk spread across Saitou's lips. He looked amused. "You talk as I were giving you a choice, Kitsune. If you would have told me no, then I would have had to take you to jail, for failing to cooperate in a police investigation."

          "That's not an official law. The wolf is trying to deceive me."

          "Anything can fall under, AKU. SOKU. ZAN. As long as justice is served, there is nothing wrong with what I do. Now, as you pointed out before, I have a wife to go home to, so let us leave now."


	6. Chapter 6

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Six

          Dr. Genzai hugged Megumi close...very close. _He must have really been worried, _Megumi thought as she pried herself away from his tight grip. Sanosuke looked on with amusement, and shook his head.  "Oi! Old man, you're trying to cop a feel! Man, I hope I still have that kind of drive when I'm your age," he said and winked at Dr. Genzai. The old man shot Sano a sly smile, unbeknownst to Megumi, who went to say hello to Suzume-chan, and Ayame-chan. Dr. Genzai waited until Megumi was out of earshot to continue.

          "How is she? Was she hurt?" he asked with concern.

          "She's fine. I'm sorry that I kept her at my place for so long. It got to be so late, that I told her to just spend the night. I didn't want her walking outside by herself," Sano said, hoping that this explanation would satisfy the doctor. 

          Dr.Genzai narrowed his eyes.  "I see. So after the rape attempt you just took her to your apartment?" 

          Sano froze, his eyes wide with shock. _How did he know? _

Dr. Genzai walked calmly to his desk, and sat down.  "I ask you this because I had a patient yesterday who was in very bad shape. He had a slash mark from a Katana that went down his back. Surprisingly he did not die from it. I was able to operate on him, but he was not allowed to stay and recover, because the police came to take his statement, and then take him to jail. He was arrested for attempted rape, and he confessed to everything. He described the victim as a tall, beautiful doctor whom he was sent to abduct, but that his plan was foiled by a gangly man, with spiky brown hair, a red bandana, and a jacket with the Kanji, 'Bad' on the back of it. I knew that the man was talking about you, but to my amazement the police acted as if they had no idea who it was. 'Must be someone new in town causing trouble,' is what they said. Now what I want to know is, why did you not bring Megumi-san to me? Who took care of her?"

          Sano was dumbstruck. He had never thought that the man would be taken to Dr.Genzai. He cursed his stupidity. He looked at the doctor who wanted answers. He told him only what he could tell him.  "I took care of her."

          Dr.Genzai nodded his head.  "Really? Then I have one more question for you. How long have you been using a sword? I asked Kenshin to analyze the wound. Oh, don't worry; I didn't let him know that it was done by you. But he told me something very interesting. He said the wound was purposely executed to be non-lethal. A horizontal slash down the back can automatically kill anyone. But he said that whoever made the wound, knew how to execute it without killing the victim, which is very unusual. In fact it is unheard of."  The doctor stopped and stared at Sano. Sano was stiff, standing against the wall afraid to utter a word.  "Kenshin wants to find whoever made this unusual wound. He is curious as to how it is possible to do such a thing and not cause someone to die."

          Sano used all the energy he had in his being to take a breath. He had momentarily stopped breathing during Dr.Genzai's revelation. Sano was surprised that he had figured it out, but he was glad that he was keeping it to himself. He looked to the door to make sure that Megumi was not nearby. He should tell her that the man had not died. He knew that the man would not die. Kenshin was right. He did make the wound non-lethal, using a technique that he had developed during his training under Saitou. He respected the man's ideals, but he just could not follow, AKU, SOKU, ZAN, to the extent that Saitou did. Sano believed that there were ways to abolish evil without death. That was Kenshin's influence. He wondered if Kenshin thought his technique to be honorable. 

Probably not. _Even though the victims don't die, that doesn't take away the fact that I butcher their bodies._ Sano shook his head. _I'm dumb to think that Kenshin would admire something like that.  _

          "Sano, does this American want to kill Megumi-dono?" The question brought Sano back from his thoughts. He looked in the direction of the voice. His Rurouni friend stood in the doorway of the office. "That patient babbled a lot for the short time that he was here. He kept saying, that someone named, Austin wanted to get back at Takani for messing up his plans. Is Megumi-dono in danger?"

          Sano nodded solemnly. He didn't want to get anyone involved in this- namely, Kenshin but he had his blank, thoughtful stare fixed on Sano and this unnerved him. It always meant that he was pondering the situation, and how he could help in it. Well, Sano appreciated it, but this was police business. Kenshin was not invited to fight in this one.  "I can handle it. The enemy is a small time crook from America. Nothing to worry over, Kenshin. You actually get to rest one out for a change." 

          Kenshin kept staring. Then he shook his head.  "He's more dangerous than you're letting on. How is it that you know so much about this case, Sano?"  

The authoritative tone of the Battousai. Sano felt a slight chill pass through him, but he shook it off. He couldn't let Kenshin know anything. And just when Sano was determined in his decision to remain quiet, Kenshin revealed just how much he knew about the entire situation.

          "When that man was here, he revealed a lot of what had happened to him. What intrigued me most was when he was finally sleeping and dreaming things that made him restless. In one instance he called out to someone, and begged him not to slash him." Kenshin paused and looked squarely at Sanosuke. "He called out to someone named, Zanza."

 Sano wasn't surprised with what Kenshin knew. Yet, his mind raced to search for an explanation, one that wouldn't reveal too much about what he had been doing with his time for the past year and a half. He hated the fact that he couldn't tell any of his friends about his position with the secret police. They would definitely be proud of him. _'You finally got a real job, and you make an honest living-now you can pay us back the money you borrowed from us'... Then again, maybe it's good that they don't know anything, _Sano decided. But nevertheless, he felt funny. A year and a half ago, this question would never have been posed to him. Sano using a Katana would have been unheard of then, yet today it still seems odd. He even found himself questioning why he wielded such a deadly weapon. _Kenshin gave these up over ten years ago. Why have I decided to take them on? _

          Sano was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not notice a presence come to stand by him. He felt a hand slip into his. Soft, and small yet firm in its grip. He didn't want to face her, for he knew that she heard what Kenshin had said, and she too wanted to know if he was the one who attacked the man. He had no choice. He had to tell her something.

          "Megumi, what I can reveal about the incident is that I did not kill that man." Those dark eyes were questioning him. He couldn't look into them any longer. He slipped his hand away from hers, and walked to the door. "I want to go and check something out. Kenshin, can I trust you to see that Megumi remains safe?" 

"Where are you going, Sanosuke?" Megumi asked, preparing to bolt after him. Sano stopped and looked over his shoulder. He seemed so stiff and unmoved, his gaze hard and penetrating. Megumi felt her breath catch in her throat as she took a step back. He was not the Sano that she knew. He hadn't been the Sano she knew for a year and a half. She felt as if she did not know him at all. Yet at this moment something had changed even more. He took on an air that was fierce, cold, and vaguely familiar. Then it came to her. Sano reminded her of Saitou...and of the Hitokiri Battousai. 

  Sano was emitting a warrior's spirit that was powerful enough for Kenshin to acknowledge. His eyes widened. Sano locked eyes with him. 

          "Kenshin, I am leaving Megumi in your care. I know that you'll protect her the way that I would."  Sano went to Megumi now, and took both of her hands into his. His eyes had softened. "I'll be back for you. Don't worry about me, okay?" he said, and leaned close to kiss her. _They should all know about us. No sense in hiding what we do, _Sano thought as he pulled away to meet everyone's eyes. Kaoru had come to stand beside Kenshin, and along with Dr.Genzai, the three stood there watching the exchange between the lovers. They all let out hopeless sighs, and Kaoru's eyes looked as if they took on the shape of hearts. Sano shook his head. _Poor Jo-Chan. I wonder if Kenshin does any of this kind of stuff for her. She's probably the fiend in that relationship. _

Sano gave Megumi one more peck on the lips, and then made his way to the door. He stopped momentarily to look back at the group, feeling as if he had to make some sort of parting gesture. An odd feeling of foreboding came over him, and he unconsciously lifted his hand and waved to them. When he saw them wave back, he snapped out of his trance...and then he disappeared.__

_                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *_

The afternoon sun was beginning to grow dim, and Sano sat on a rock, chewing on a twig, waiting for Saitou to arrive. There was some important business to discuss, an assignment that Saitou had in mind. For the past week he had been in deep discussion with the department heads, so Sano knew that it must be crucial stuff maybe more dangerous than he imagined. He looked absently over at his Katana, which lay next to him, and wondered if there would come a day when he would trade it in for a less dangerous weapon. Maybe go back to fighting with his fists. He was always good at that. He still was. Perhaps better now, than he ever was in the past. He had to admit, that Saitou's training had some benefits to his old fighting style. Should he choose to retire when this ordeal ended, he would definitely be better prepared for a street fight...and he would definitely retire his Katana. 

_            A year and a half with this thing, and I'm ready to part with it. I never was able to get emotionally attached to this sword the way that Kenshin and Saitou got attached to theirs, _Sano thought to himself, as he leaned back and decided on a short late afternoon nap. 

          "Ahou! I didn't call you out here so that you can sunbathe."  Sano groaned at the sound of that voice, and he sat up lazily, leaning on his elbows to face Saitou Hajime. He rolled his eyes at his superior and grunted. "I got tired of waiting for your grand arrival, Sir. I was dreaming of ways to bail on you and your AKU SOKU ZAN bullshit, Sir," Sano said, knowing that Saitou hated that formal address, and hated to hear disparaging words about his code of justice even more. 

          Saitou raised an eyebrow, and Sano wondered if he was thinking of which Gatotsu strike to use on him. But he merely snorted at Sano, and regarded him with his usual cool amber gaze. 

"We don't have much time to talk, and we may not be as secure as we think here so I will make this short, and to the point. I want you to take on your former lifestyle as a Yakuza, and infiltrate Henry Austin's ring. I want you to gain his trust, become some sort of right hand man to his gang leader, and tell me what he plans to do. I need more information than what I have. I think that he is planning something big, and only using the Fox as a decoy for something else. I can smell it coming, but I don't exactly know what it is, and when to expect it. That is why I need you in there."

          Sano sat up and moved slowly off the rock to stand before Saitou. He was dumbfounded.  "You want me to become a gangster? How am I going to do that when all the Yakuza know that I'm not in that business anymore? The word has spread about my connection with Kenshin. No one's going to buy it."

          "There's nothing that says that you can't turn your back on the Battousai. Friends have disagreements, and fallouts occur. Perhaps he believes that your boss, Sagara Souzou and the Sekihou Tai were a weak and foolish group who got entirely what they deserved. Conjure up whatever you can to make it convincing. You're going to have to be the Battousai's enemy for a while."  Saitou stopped for a moment. A thought suddenly came to him.  "Do any of them know about what you now do? I mean, besides the Fox?"

          Sano shook his head.  "But they did find out about the man that I attacked."

          Saitou looked as if he wanted to thrash Sano.  "Dumbass! That non-lethal bullshit that you do is going to blow your cover! Now I'm going to have to pay that man a visit in his cell; and after they clean up the mess that I left behind, I may just lock you in there."

          "They don't know anything, Saitou. Besides the police did a good job at covering it up-"

          "That is because they realize the secrecy of this case. There is more to find out, and you may have blown it, now that the Battousai has his eye on you."

          Sano was taken aback.  "Kenshin? Watching me? Why would he do that? We're still buddies last time I checked."

          Saitou sighed heavily, and wished that there were a brick wall around so that he could bash his head against it. He wondered what had possessed him to take Sano on as a protégé. "Ahou! The Battousai knows that you made the wound on that man. The wound was done using a technique that is meant to render the victim unconscious from all of the pain that he experiences, but he does not die. You mean to tell me that Battousai is not the least bit interested in how you learned how to do that? Something so damn impossible for any other swordsman is easily accomplished by you. I'll give you credit. It takes tremendous skill to wield the Katana the way that you do; and I'm sure that Battousai is curious to know when you learned these unusual skills."

          Sano was silent. Saitou was right, but he still could not understand what he was implying about Kenshin. _We're the good guys in this. We're trying to help Megumi, not hurt her. _ Sano shook his head, and decided that it was time to go. The area was indeed not safe for their conversation, and it was best to end it. Sano made his way to the dirt road that would take him to Tokyo's city limits, when he was stopped by Saitou's hand planted firmly on his shoulder. Sano was alarmed at the unexpected touch from the Wolf. It was uncharacteristically gentle. Sano flinched, and shrugged the hand away. 

          Saitou raised an eyebrow.  "You've been too jumpy for too long. Lately you have no idea whether you're coming or going. I think that I may need to reassign you and let someone else handle this case."

          Sano whirled around to face Saitou.  "I'm perfectly capable to continue with this case-"

          "You're too emotionally involved with the subject! I need someone less affected by the Fox's presence. At this point, I think that you will do her more good if you stayed out of the way." Saitou fished inside of his pockets for his cigarettes. Dealing with this damned Rooster made him want to smoke two at once. _If this dumbass throws a tantrum I'll just light the whole fucking pack, _Saitou thought, wearily eyeing Sanosuke. He had just come to the conclusion that this may be something that Sanosuke was not prepared for. He did not doubt the man's abilities. He just realized that the Fox had been right to worry with this case. He needed his officers to concentrate on the entire situation. Although he understood Sanosuke's position, he could not let him go any further with just the interest of his love as his motivation. That could lead him to make some seriously bad judgments. _No, it is best that he stay uninvolved from this point on, _Saitou decided lighting his cigarette as a gesture that the conversation was over. 

          Sanosuke glared at his superior, but it faded quickly enough for he had already made a decision of his own. He had the sword by his side now, and his hand went to gingerly finger the hilt of his Katana. Saitou noticed this immediately and shot Sano a quizzical look. Sano drew his sword and pointed its shiny blade at the Wolf. 

          Saitou raised his eyebrow again and held his breath for a brief moment. He hid his shock well and recovered quickly. "Ahou! Put your knife away. You won't be of any help to me if you're dead." 

          Sano smirked confidently, and positioned his body into the familiar first stance of the Gatotsu. "You called me a weakness once. I'll make you take that shit back," he said focusing on Saitou's right shoulder as his target. He had suffered such an injury at the hands of Mibu's Wolf, so he was eager to return the gesture...along with a little surprise. 

          Saitou stood calmly smoking his cigarette, and deciding whether he should take it easy on the dope or fight him for real. He was confident that he had trained Roosterboy well, but even with all those skills that he acquired this was not a fair fight. Saitou knew that he could easily counter Sano's Gatotsu, and kill him; and that would not help him at all. He dropped his cigarette, and glanced at his protégé. The fool waited patiently for him to draw his sword. If he wasn't in such a rush to end this, he would stop and observe how well Sanosuke posed, and how precisely he positioned his Katana. 

_He's aiming for the shoulder. Not a severe wound._ _He's also in a hurry to end this, _Saitou thought as he took one last moment to look into the eyes of his officer. Something lay behind that determined gaze; something that told Saitou that he had better fight for real or suffer something worse than a shoulder wound. He sighed deeply and drew his sword. He hoped that he would not hurt Roosterboy too badly. He was actually beginning to like him.  

           He positioned himself into the Gatotsu stance. His lips curled into a wry smile, as he stared at Sanosuke. He knew exactly what he was going to do and where he was going to strike. This was going to be too easy.

          "I've decided to be nice and give you a chance to reconsider. I won't penalize you for insolence, and you will be spared the wrath of, AKU, SOKU, ZAN."

          Sano remained as he was. His smile faded.  "Bite me! I won't let you back out of this fight. Where have your balls gone? Were they sliced off during your last sword fight?"  Sano didn't know where that came from, but he saw the effect that it made. Saitou's characteristically cool demeanor turned into silent rage. The tables were now turned in the insult department. He actually got Saitou to react. 

          "I see. You want this to be serious. Then that's what you'll get. I think that I'll give you that same wound from two years ago. Only this time, there won't be a shoulder left to mend."

          Both men stood in position...and then they both charged. Their speed was the same. Their lunges were equal. But Saitou was the one to establish contact. His sword hit, but Sanosuke saw the strike in just enough time to move and prevent himself from being impaled, and then sliced. The blade grazed his right shoulder leaving just a scratch. Sano got into position again. He had to win this fight. If Saitou wasn't going to let him help Megumi, then he would have to grant permission to himself. If someone else took this assignment then they would definitely mess it up, and Megumi may end up dead. No one has taken this case more seriously than he has, and he was damned if he was going to let someone take over and do a half-assed job. 

          Saitou got into position and glared at Sanosuke. _What the hell has gotten into him? Is this about his woman, or is this something deeper? Our old grudge is back, I guess. Yare yare. It was only a matter of time before this came up again. But he's different this time. And something about him right now really bothers me._

          Saitou's Gatotsu was ready for another round. He read Sano's move already. "You are so charitable. An attempt to take out my legs; preventing me from interfering with your plans, yet not killing me. You really should give it up. Your Gatotsu is no match for my Gatotsu," he said, a deep growl coming forth as he charged at Sanosuke with immense speed. Sanosuke stood where he was, having no choice but to defend against the attack since his had already been detected. Saitou held nothing back. His blade ripped right into Sano's side, but again, Sano was able to see it in time to prevent it from being a serious wound. 

          Sano sucked in his breath as he felt the blood seep from the gash. Saitou scowled at Sanosuke, breathing heavily with his sword still raised. He shook his head.  "Ahou! If we keep this up you're going to end up dead. Like I said before, your Gatotsu is nothing compared to mine. I've mastered it, whereas you only know its basics. I have no problems sticking my Katana into your guts. You're asking for it and you'll get it- but not today. I order you to give this up."

          Sano's breathing was heavy, and his loss of blood was causing him to grow dizzy. Yet he wasn't going to give up. He had something to say, and something to show his superior. The fierceness in his eyes would have made any other man shudder, but Saitou merely glared back.

          "You're right. My Gatotsu is nothing compared to yours. But the Shinsengumi never taught you how to counter my, Inochi Ni Kakawaru De Nai slash." 

Sano moved with lightning speed. He came behind Saitou like a sharp gust, and brought his Katana swiftly across the wolf's back_. _Saitou showed no pain, or surprise as he fell face down onto the ground. The wound was deep, extending from the tip of his left shoulder to the right side of his waist. It bled very little, which was a good sign. Saitou lay unconscious, and Sano knew that he would be okay. He sheathed his Katana without cleaning it, and with one last look at the Wolf, he headed for the road that would lead him to Tokyo. He planned to stop by a message center, and send word to the police department to collect their boss in the forest and tend to him. Sano would do it himself but he had no time, and he needed tending to himself. His side had stopped bleeding, but he wondered how far he could go before it got infected. Nonetheless, he had to forgo that, and be on his way. He was going to find the Austin compound, and if need be, he would take the De Nai out of the Inochi Ni Kakawaru, and slash that bastard up. 


	7. Chapter 7

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Seven

          "Dr. Genzai has gone to the hospital to tend to, Saitou?" Megumi asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. Then she heard the details of his condition and her heart sank. A horizontal slash across his back had rendered him unconscious. The wound was deep, yet hardly bled at all. The person who did this must have been a skilled swordsman, said the young man who had come to deliver the news. Kenshin stood beside Megumi as she received this news, a solemn expression darkening his face. She was thinking exactly what was going through his mind- Sanosuke has taken a dangerous step. 

          Kenshin could not believe that Sanosuke had actually won a fight against Saitou. _Perhaps they decided to pick up where they left off two years ago, but where did Sano learn to use a Katana- **like that!**_, Kenshin thought to himself unable to fathom that Sano was learning sword tricks without his knowledge. As Kenshin thought more about it he began to feel a pang within his heart. It was the distinct pinch of betrayal, which perplexed Kenshin since he had nothing to feel betrayed about. Well, nothing but the fact that Sano was hiding this talent of his from everybody. _Why did he keep something like that from us... why did he keep that from me?, _Kenshin wondered feeling that pang in his chest grow more intense. 

          Kenshin was suspicious about this entire incident. Sanosuke was hiding something that had to do with Megumi and that American. He turned to her now for he had a feeling that she also knew more than she let on.  Megumi glanced at Kenshin when she felt his inquiring eyes on her, and she spoke before he could utter a word.  "Let us go and see Saitou. He knows all of the information, and he can answer whatever questions you have about Sanosuke."

          Kenshin silently pondered that for a moment. _Saitou! That would explain the sword skills! But why would he want to learn anything from Saitou, and why would Saitou go out of his way to teach anything to Sanosuke?, _Kenshin thought unable to put it all together. There was something missing. He looked to Megumi. Her expression was blank, but Kenshin was convinced she knew something that he did not. She sighed and lowered her head in defeat. Kenshin barely heard her, as she whispered softly, "Saitou trained him as part of the secret police. Sanosuke is a secret agent under his command, and he is the one responsible for my safety."

          Kenshin just stared at Megumi as he listened.  "I see. That's why he knew so much about the situation that you're involved in. He's the one who has been investigating it. I can't believe that I never caught on. I never suspected anything different about him, until recently. He hid it well."

          "It was his job to keep it hidden. The only ones in Tokyo who knew that Sanosuke was a policeman were those who worked in the department. That is why they pretended not to know who attacked that man yesterday. Sanosuke watches over all of downtown Tokyo. It is his duty to protect us, Kenshin. Not just me, but all of us."  Megumi had tears in her eyes now that poured forth to glide down her cheeks.  "He is taking it upon himself to ensure our safety."

          Kenshin nodded and placed his hand gently on her shoulder.  "He is doing this because he loves you, Megumi-dono. He wants to make sure that you are safe, and he wants you to live in a safe place. I admire that he took the initiative to join the secret police. It must have taken a lot to put his pride aside and take orders from Saitou."  Kenshin paused for a moment.  "He must really love you, Megumi-dono. I don't know if I'd do that for Kaoru-dono."

          Megumi stopped crying and chuckled softly.  "You know if Kaoru hears that she'll add a few more lumps to your head, Ken-san."  She wiped the tears away, and her fox ears popped up. She placed her hand on his cheek, and brought him toward her so that she could kiss one of his quickly reddened cheeks. His eyes grew unnaturally wide.  "Megumi-dono please, this is how you got me in trouble last time! Let us just go and see Saitou," Kenshin tripped backwards and almost fell over the laundry. 

          Megumi scooped him up, and hugged him so that he leaned snuggly against her bosom. His face and eyes were ready to explode.  "Oh Ken-san, if you're hurt I can easily mend those bruises with my special rub down."  

          Kenshin looked bewildered.  "What about Saitou?"

          "I would rather not give him a rub down," came the disgusted response. 

          "Please Megumi-dono, Sanosuke asked me to protect you. How am I supposed to do that if Kaoru-dono knocks me unconscious?"

          Megumi's fox ears wiggled as she lowered her voice into a sultry drawl and whispered into Kenshin's ear,  "If that savage woman of yours attacks you, then I'll just have to bring you out of it- and I know _just _what to do, Ken-san."

          It took only a few words with her sexy voice to render Kenshin limp in her arms. He had fainted. _Probably from fear, _Megumi thought fuming at the fact that Kaoru mistreated him so often. _Oh dear, I'm going have to carry this Baka all the way to the hospital now. _She hoisted Kenshin's arms over her shoulders, and dragged him toward the gate of the dojo. She hoped that it was not too late to talk with Saitou. He was her only clue as to what Sanosuke was up to. As she made her way down the road, she could not help but feel uneasy. A feeling of foreboding came over her that followed her all the way to the hospital. She looked up at the early evening sky. It was a blend of rose and purple colored rays, which gradually grew dim to allow the blackness of the night sky to come forth.  _How could anything happen on such a beautiful night?, _she wondered, yet the nagging feeling still remained. Saitou would have all of the answers. 

                    *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          When they arrived at the hospital, an assistant who was busy making Saitou's empty bed greeted them. Kenshin and Megumi gave the young woman inquiring looks, and she answered with a frown, "Inspector Fujita is gone. He left us this morning. It was all so very unfortunate." 

          Kenshin gasped.  "What do you mean? Oh my God he's..?" Kenshin asked, thinking the worst possible scenario. _No, it can't be. Saitou?...Sano actually?...no! He couldn't have. Please no!,_ Kenshin begged silently. The assistant nodded her head pursing her lips.  "Yes. He was gone before we could do anything to help him. He was such a strong man. I regret that I could not do anything to help him."

          Kenshin's heart raced.  _NO! It can't be! Sanosuke how could you!  _He pressed his eyes shut not wanting to believe any of it. He could not accept it. Saitou couldn't be...dead!

          Megumi was thinking the same thing, for she was unusually silent beside Kenshin. Her expression became somber, as she thought over and over, _Sanosuke what did you do?  _

          The assistant eyed them both with concern as she finished up her chores. She called for Dr. Genzai, and he immediately appeared.  "Ken-san! Megumi-san! How are you both? This is all so unfortunate isn't it? I can't believe what has happened." he said, giving them both the same look of concern. _What's with these two? _

Kenshin clenched his fists at his side and faced Dr. Genzai.  "Where is he now? I want to see his body." 

          Dr. Genzai looked at Kenshin, with confusion.  "Ken-san, what do you mean you want to see his body? He's gone. The minute he came out of unconsciousness, he just got up and walked out. I was about to examine him when he disappeared. He has a nasty gash on his back that may become infected. It may make him severely ill if it is not treated, which is very unfortunate for him." 

          Kenshin gasped again. "So, he's fine then?"

          Dr. Genzai shook his head.  "No, he is not fine. He is in a very critical period, where he needs to be treated. I didn't even get to clean the wound."

          "But he's not dead," Megumi gently interjected.

          "Dead? Why he is far from it. No disrespect to Sanosuke's skills as a swordsman, but if no one was able to kill Saitou during the Bakumatsu, then I have little confidence that Sanosuke could."

          Kenshin let out a long breath.  "What a relief. I was worried there."

          Dr. Genzai narrowed his eyes at these two. They were acting very strange. 

          "Why have you come to see Saitou? I would be more concerned about Sanosuke's condition. We know that Saitou survived the fight, but we don't know anything about Sanosuke. I believe that Saitou may have gone to look for him. I pray that Sanosuke is able to handle himself against that angry wolf. He is much more dangerous now that he is wounded."

          "That's true Dr. Genzai, but I think Saitou has another reason to find Sanosuke. I think he wants to find him before he gets himself killed," Kenshin said, quietly coming to that realization. He feared for his friend. He had the odd feeling that his fighting partner had his days numbered. 

          Dr. Genzai looked thoughtful.  "Sano-san won a fight against Mibu's wolf. He has become very strong. I don't know whether to think that this is good or bad. Wait! What am I saying? This is Sanosuke. He is doing all of this for Megumi-san, and for all of Tokyo. He is on his way to be a hero like you, Kenshin."

          Kenshin nodded his head, and smiled wearily.  "Sanosuke has gotten strong because of Saitou. I'm glad that he was able to find the positive influence that Saitou hides within himself. I'm glad that he can feel confident about his abilities, and not think himself as a weakness anymore. He had that lingering within during the time I was fighting Shishio Makoto. He has now been able to get past that."

          "But, Ken-san. If what you say is true, then Sanosuke is going to face a dangerous enemy by himself. Are you going to let him fight alone?" Megumi asked softly.

          Kenshin shrugged his shoulders.  "He seems to not want me involved. I don't know if I will be respecting his wishes if I were to interfere with his plans. But he came to Kyoto when I asked him not to follow me, so it is only fair that I join him if he plans to fight this American. If we can't find out through Saitou, then we'll have to find out Sanosuke's whereabouts some other way. I owe this to him, Megumi-dono. And I promise you that I will bring him back."

          Megumi smiled in spite of her feelings of doubt. She could not believe Kenshin's words, no matter how much she wanted to. Something within told her that it was not to be. Kenshin would not be able to keep his promise...and that saddened her immensely.


	8. Chapter 8

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Eight

          The building was huge. Sanosuke stood outside of the Austin compound, in awe of its size. _He must have two hundred members of various Yakuza situated here, _he thought to himself, as he raised his fists and slammed them together. He was ready to be a ganster once again. He was ready to go in as Zanza-although he didn't expect to be noticed. He had not spotted the presence of guards, but apparently they had spotted him. 

          "Oi, you. What are you doing in the vicinity of the Austin compound? Mr. Austin does not appreciate those who loiter about his grounds," said one who had his sword drawn. Sanosuke stopped and turned to look over his shoulder at them. He recognized one of them. He had beaten the crap out of him a few years ago. _I wonder if he remembers me?_ The familiar one looked at Sano, recalling something. Then he turned to the other guards.  "That's the street fighter Zanza. He is very well known in Tokyo. What are you doing so far from home, Zanza?"

          The other guards looked disdainfully at Sanosuke.  "If he is so well known then Mr. Austin would have him in his army. As far as I know, he is nobody. Zanza is nothing compared to the warriors we have inside, and Zanza should turn around and forget that he came this way. Find your way home gangster boy, before you get involved in something that you won't be able to handle." This one had his sword drawn, and he now pointed it at Sano.  "I said go home. I'm being very nice to you, since you are a fellow gangster. But you're out of your league here. Go before you get hurt."

          Sano stood still as he listened to them. Then he answered them the only way he could- he laughed.  "You're telling me to go home? How about this? I go in to see, Mr. Austin when I beat all of you."

          The guard was taken aback, and lowered his sword a bit.  "You talk big for a man who is offering to take on seven warriors by himself. The odds are not in your favor. Think about it before-"

          "I don't have to do any thinking! You're wasting my time, which is what I don't have much of at the moment." He drew his sword.  "Time for me to go."  He whipped behind them, and with one swipe they all fell down with large gash marks across their backs. This time his sword was smeared with lots of blood, but with one flick of his wrist he sent it flying off the blade. 

He stopped for a moment to listen. No one was coming anytime soon. It was safe to go in, but he wondered how long it would take before the whereabouts of these soldiers was questioned. Sanosuke looked back at the fallen guards and wondered if he had made a mistake in fighting them. This would make his infiltration more difficult to accomplish. Then another thought came to him. Why were there only seven guards? With someone who is supposed to be so important, wouldn't he have more than seven warriors surrounding the compound? Something wasn't right. He had made another grave mistake. _God, I'm fucking up this whole operation. I need to keep my head, or else I won't be of any help to Megumi. _

          Sanosuke stopped thinking for a minute. Her name always made him stop all other thoughts and concentrate his mind on the image of her face. He had left her just this morning, yet it felt as if he had been away from her side for years. He remembered the odd feeling of foreboding from earlier that day, and he wondered if he was taking too much responsibility on his own. Perhaps he should have listened to Saitou. Maybe there was something else he could have done for this case. _Now it seems as if I am on the way to screw things up. _

A faint step came from behind. This immediately alerted Sano, but when he turned around he froze in his spot. He had come face to face with an imposing individual who wore strange Western garments. Black fitted slacks, black shirt, a tan colored trench coat, and these strange looking boots that were shiny and had these small circular, yet pointed objects attached to them just above the heel. Sano wondered if they were some kind of weapon. A large hat was drawn forward so that it covered the individuals face. He could have been mistaken for an American-but as far as Sano knew Americans did not carry Japanese swords. Two katanas were positioned on his left side, while he had a holster with a pistol on his right. This character looked dangerous, and Sano wondered if he had seen what had just occurred. 

          The individual raised his head revealing his face. He was Japanese all right. He looked to the fallen soldiers with no regard. Then his gaze met Sano's, who immediately felt his heart freeze. The feeling of foreboding came once again, only this time it was mirrored through that man's eyes. _He is going to be responsible for something involving me, _Sano thought trying his hardest to hide his apprehension. The man seemed unfazed, but he did not put off any indication that he wanted to fight. He seemed to be very interested in Sanosuke.

          "You took them all down with one strike. I have never seen anything like that since the days of the Bakumatsu. I did not think that swordsman such as you still existed. I'll be damned."  The last sentence was said in a strange language. Sano wondered if this was the gangster that was mentioned in the file; the one who spoke English. 

The man scanned the guards once again, and gasped when he realized that they were breathing. "You didn't kill them? How is that? I saw you slice into their backs. They should all be dead." He turned to Sanosuke.  "Who are you? Why has Mr. Austin not taken you under his command?"

          Sano smirked.  "I don't follow anyone's command. I'm my own boss. The name's Zanza and I'm here to see the one whom you call, Mr. Austin. I hear that he's got some plans for Tokyo, and I'm here to say that the territory belongs to me. If he wants to do anything within it, he needs to consult with me."

          The man narrowed his eyes.  "Mr. Austin has the top Yakuza of Tokyo in his army. They know of all the gang activity in this area and they never mentioned anything about a gangster named Zanza. They did mention an ex-gangster who goes by the name of Sagara Sanosuke. They say that he was a strong fighter. He has the endurance of an entire army combined, and he's got this mean right hand punch that can break boulders into dust. But he seemed to disappear from the public eye as of a year and a half ago. He is spotted every now and then but he isn't like his old self. He doesn't fight anymore, and the gambling halls have missed his presence. But they say that he still looks the same. Tall, strong build, red bandana, and a white gi with the kanji "evil" on the back of the jacket. You know, now that I think it over, it seems as if those guys were describing you."

          Sano felt like laughing. Was this guy trying to be subtle?  "I guess you found me out," he said thinking about his conversation with Saitou earlier that day. He had been concerned with the Yakuza having too much information about him, and he realized that he was right to be suspicious. They definitely knew too much about him, and he wondered how much more information they had. 

          The man was studying him closely, his eyes narrowed into slits and he noticed something of interest.  "You were recently injured. Your side bleeds, as does your shoulder. Is there trouble following you?" he asked.

          Sano refrained from answering the man right away. He wanted to take this slowly, cautiously so as not to give away too much. He read the expression on the stranger's face; the man was intrigued- and Sano wanted to keep it that way. "It's nothing I can't handle. This is just a scratch. My opponent looks worse than I do." With this thought he stopped to think about Saitou. He wondered if he had regained consciousness, and if so how angry was the wolf? He quickly put that thought to rest. He had no time to worry about that wolf. 

          "My, you sound sure of yourself. Why don't you come inside? I'm sure that Mr. Austin would be interested in meeting someone like you. You could be of use to us here. Do you know all of Downtown Tokyo?" 

          Sano nodded. "Down to the rats. I'd like to meet Mr. Austin too. I want to know what he's doing here." He looked at the man sizing him up, noting how he seemed to master the art of looking relaxed, yet keep his body tense and ready for a fight. He was intrigued with this individual as well. He had never seen him here before. He must be from another part of Japan. He must have been educated abroad since he spoke the language of his master, and even dressed like him. At least Sano assumed that Mr. Austin dressed in those silly clothes. _They wouldn't look any better on him, than they do on this guy. I'd never be caught dead in a getup like that, _he thought to himself and a sudden notion came to him. This man had something about him. Sano felt it from within the stranger. He was going to influence the result of his destiny. If that was the case then Sano needed to know one thing before he accepted the fate that hovered over him.

          "Oi, I never got your name." 

          The stranger had turned away to lead Sanosuke inside the compound. Now he stopped to look over his shoulder.  "Irushi. Kyuuto Irushi. That is my Japanese name. In America I am known as Corpus Kyuuto." He paused a moment. "That is a name that Mr. Austin gave me. He thinks that I have the personality of a corpse." He laughed lightly at that. "He's a silly old bastard. I think that you would like him very much."

          Irushi turned toward the door again, and continued on. "Come, Sanosuke. I want you to meet with Mr. Austin before he decides to take a nap. Planning a takeover seems to take a lot out of him. Perhaps with your help it won't be so hard on him. He is so old. He should retire from the yakuza business. But what do I know, eh?" Irushi made a gesture for Sano to follow him, and he obliged. Sanosuke walked slowly, with a heavy heart and his thoughts wandering to Megumi. He hoped that she was safe.


	9. Chapter 9

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Nine

          "That psycho cop is a lot freakier than Sanosuke," Yahiko said pointedly securing his shinai into the pocket across his back. Kaoru looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  "What do you think you're getting ready for?"

          Yahiko rolled his eyes.  "The fight you dumb hag. You know Saitou's gonna try and kill Sano for slicing him up and I, Myojin Yahiko Tokyo's Best Samurai, will step forward to defend him."

          Kenshin smiled at his spirit, while Kaoru seethed in anger at being called a dumb hag. She belted one over his head before he could bow humbly before Kenshin, and this in turn caused them both to swing at each other. Kenshin chuckled nervously since they both looked as if they were going to tear each other's faces off. Megumi looked on in disapproval.  "Kaoru, as the role model for this young orphan, you really should have more control over your temper."

          Kaoru turned possessed eyes on her.  "Butt out, Megumi!" she growled and resumed her fight with Yahiko. Megumi merely sighed feeling more and more sorry for her Ken-san. _Why did he have to pick such a demon for a girlfriend? _

          Kenshin kept silent, fearful of Kaoru's wrath-but then he felt something odd. He tuned in to his inner spirit to see if he could figure out what it was. It came to him like a vision from beyond his senses.

          A presence.

          Kenshin stood up, and looked toward the door of the dojo. He knew who stood on the other side. Kaoru and Yahiko stopped and looked at Kenshin. They felt the presence as well. Kenshin walked to the door and reached out to open the door, but there was no need to. The door slid open and the answer came right to them; Saitou Hajime stepped over the threshold, taking great care to use slow stiff movements. Kenshin raked his eyes quickly over the injured man. He was in bad shape. 

          Kaoru had stopped pulling at Yahiko's hair when the door opened, and she had frozen when she saw who so rudely invited himself into her home. Saitou looked as if he were going to faint from the effort of taking that one step inside. His face was pale and drawn, and he gripped his katana as if he drew strength from it to remain standing. Kaoru wanted to offer Saitou some tea, or a futon so that he could rest for a while, but the glare in his eyes stopped her from feeling any more pity for him. He would not appreciate her concern for him, and he would definitely not accept it graciously, so she kept the offers to herself. He had business to tend to and his gaze fell on the one whom he knew would help. 

          Kenshin nodded in acknowledgement and with a gesture of his hand, welcomed his old enemy inside. The amber eyes regarded the hand coldly, pondering the sentiment that lay beyond the gesture. Then he looked into the eyes of the one he always referred to as the Battousai, gathered up every ounce of tolerance for pain he had inside of him, and bowed respectfully.

_            Why is Kenshin inviting him inside? That man always brings trouble into our lives, _Kaoru thought watching the display rather disconcerted. _He wants to hurt Sanosuke. What else could Kenshin need to know from this man?  _Saitou had always made her nervous, and seeing him in such a helpless position was just too strange for her. There had to be another explanation for his visit. She looked to Megumi who sat quietly on her mat. She knew more about this than any of them, even Kenshin. Kaoru found that disconcerting as well. She felt Yahiko beside her, heard his nervous breaths and she placed her hand on his shoulder to ease him. He relaxed somewhat but still regarded the former Shinsemgumi Captain with trepidation. He really gave the poor kid the creeps. 

          Saitou stood straight again, showing a slight wince that went unnoticed to all but Kenshin. He saw that they all looked curiously unnerved by his presence. _They must think that I'm here to finish that dumbass officer of mine. They have no idea how much I want to have a rematch with that goddamned roosterhead. It was a mistake to underestimate him as I did. But there are more important things to deal with, and unfortunately he involved himself in that as well. Yare yare, idiot. You're in a shitload now, and after all this is over with. I hope you've been practicing something other than that swing of yours. I won't be a victim to it a second time. _He looked to Kenshin who waited anxiously for him to speak. He gave them all, his most wicked smile. They all cringed.

          "I'm here to offer my help in finding, Sanosuke. That asshole has gone to the Austin compound, which is located just outside of Tokyo. I know that you want to find him as well. I know how to get there, and I have one other contact besides Sanosuke inside as we speak. He will keep an eye on that idiot and alert me when things get dangerous for him, which I believe won't be long from now. I have already been informed that he has been accepted into the confidence of Mr.Austin's right hand, an orphan whom Austin adopted after the death of his son occurred. His name is Kyuuto Irushi, and he is a very dangerous man. He had the luxury of traveling back and forth from America and Japan when he was a boy, training with a former Samurai turned Yakuza, and taking this training to America where he developed his own technique of gun slinging. He is well schooled in the art of gunplay, and he uses what he learns to adapt his own sword techniques as well. He is so talented in both these arts he is deadlier than any Hitokiri the Japanese government has ever employed." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry Battousai. I didn't mean to downplay your career as Hitokiri. I am merely relaying the extent of danger that Sanosuke has entered. If Kyuuto Irushi should discover the truth about him, then he is beyond our efforts to rescue him. He would never defeat Kyuuto in a fight, and I wonder if our combined strengths can even affect him. Battousai, if you plan to go after your friend then I suggest you come with me, and we go now."

          Kenshin thought intensely about it. He had to go, and they had to hurry. But there was one more thing to worry about.  "What about Austin's plans for Megumi-dono? I was under the impression that he was causing all this trouble on account of her past. Am I right to believe that there is more to this than Megumi-dono's demise?" 

          Saitou nodded slowly. "The Fox is a decoy. He has unfinished business with her that he will undoubtedly take care of, but she is a stepping stone he plans to take for something bigger. She is part of the famous family of doctors. If he ruins her reputation, and makes her death look like a suicide then this will cause a major disruption in Tokyo. A well-known doctor so disgraced in the medical field will make the people believe that they have put their trust in the wrong person. This will begin the assault on the powers of Tokyo making the people so distrusting that they will want to kill each other. He plans to do this with each major city in Japan until there is nothing but chaos, and another civil war. Then he plans to make his big move. He will come forward and name himself the Savior of Japan."

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          Sanosuke followed Kyuuto Irushi through tunnels that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was dark and Irushi carried no candle or lantern. Sano had a difficult time seeing him through the darkness, but was glad to have a guide into the depths of this compound. It was a mansion attached to a hill through the tunnels that were dug under ground. Once inside there was light that revealed stairways built within the hill to reach its six floors. There were guards stationed at every landing, and at every door of the rooms that were built into each floor. Sano guessed that there had to be ten rooms on each floor making sixty rooms in total. Irushi explained that each floor had a main conference room, and a group that got together in this room to discuss their plans for Mr. Austin. Each floor was responsible for one aspect of Mr. Austin's total plan. Each floor had a leader and each leader would meet with Mr.Austin and Irushi inside the mansion to exchange their information, and decide what the next level would be. 

          "We are due to meet with each other this evening. Perhaps you would like to accompany me there. You can meet Mr. Austin and we can decide where you will fit in. Perhaps I'll suggest that you assist me. I like the way you fight, and I like your attitude. Most of the men here are great fighters, but they take themselves much too seriously. Plus they think that I am a sellout."

          Sano silently agreed with them. _You are a sellout. How can you take the side of a foreigner? How can you betray your people? _He thought to himself as he followed Irushi to a room at the far end of the first floor. This room surprisingly had no guard posted. In fact it was hidden to the eye and he had not noticed it before on their way up the stairs. They passed five guards who regarded Sano with icy stares. They nodded to Irushi when he acknowledged them but once he passed by, Sano noticed that they looked after them with curiosity, especially one in particular who sized him up in less than one second. Something about that one guard didn't seem to fit into the scene, but Sano guessed that was his nerves reacting. _Shit, either I look really good to these guys who haven't seen the light of day for sixteen months, or they know exactly who I am. _Sano recognized some of them. He had had lots of fights in the past and now it was catching up to him. He knew these guys weren't going to believe that he was legitimate. Now he felt uneasy. 

They headed for the secluded room and once they arrived Irushi led Sano inside. The dimly lit room contained shelves of books and a desk in the center. "This is my study. I come here to sort my thoughts when things seem to be too much for me," Irushi said, "Mr. Austin is very demanding sometimes. But you'll see that soon enough. I brought you here because I wanted to speak to you without any disturbances. I want to know all about you before I bring you to Mr. Austin."

          Sano nodded.  "I see, so you're the one who recruits the men for Mr. Austin. How come I never heard of you before? I heard of Austin, but nothing about you. I've never even seen you, and I know about everyone who comes into Tokyo. Are you keeping a low profile?" Sano made sure to choose his words carefully. He thought it rather odd that he should be brought to a secluded room for this conversation, but he didn't want to reveal any of his suspicions. Good undercover work meant that he had to gather information from any possible scenario that he fell into- and do it without the enemy's notice. But apparently there was nothing to be careful about, for Irushi merely smiled at the remark, and winked as he tipped his cowboy hat. Sano didn't understand what Irushi was implying, so he took the gesture to mean that he had guessed correctly. _So, you've been sneaking all over Japan without my notice. You almost passed right under my nose Kyuuto Irushi._

Sano studied Irushi carefully, watching him walk to the far end of the room where a futon stood within the shadows of the wall. There was a vulnerability about him that was uncanny. He was a powerful force in this group, there was no doubt about that, but it was obvious that the other men resented him. They probably even hated him, but were not brave enough to let him know it. Two hundred trained warriors were afraid to tell one man that they hated him. _This guy has the kind of presence that Kenshin had as the Battousai. Disliked by so many, yet feared by them at the same time. What kind of person is he? _Sano thought as he surveyed the room once again. 

He stopped scanning the area when he spotted a cabinet that he had not noticed before. It was made of wood, and it had a glass door where one could see the display of guns and swords inside. Sano found himself drawn to it, and before he could stop himself he had his nose pressed against the glass. He knew this was rude, but he couldn't help himself. The Katanas, and Kodachi's gleamed in the light, and the handguns shined silver against their black background. It was an impressive array of weapons. Sano wondered if this man knew how to use all of them.Then he finally remembered the little manners that he was taught, and backed away from the display clasping his hands together and bowing his head modestly at Irushi.

          "I'm sorry for that. I have just never seen such beautiful weapons before. The ones I see are always stained with dirt or blood. These look brand new."

          Irushi waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. They are beautiful and are there to be admired. But you are wrong about one thing_. _They are not new. In fact they are old and have been used often. They are the weapons of the strongest warriors that I defeated in America and in Japan."

          "Trophies?" Sano asked looking at the weapons again. 

          Irushi shrugged his shoulders. "Something like that. I keep them as a way of remembering thatI had a strong opponent whom I was able to beat. But I may not be so lucky next time," he added pulling a chair out from the shadows and placing it before the desk. He gestured for Sano to sit, while he placed himself in the chair behind his desk. Sano leaned his katana against the desk's edge before he sat down but he couldn't stop himself from staring at Irushi. He marveled at how this man could sit so easily with two katanas and a gun as if they were not there. 

As if reading his mind, Irushi unbuckled the holster from his belt, and placed the gun down on the desk with a firm thud. Then he shocked Sano even more by leaning back in his chair and shifting it sideways at an angle to prop his feet on top of the desk, crossing them at the ankles. Sano never knew of a Japanese person to do something like that. He wondered if the katanas poking into his ribs bothered him. _Ga-jin do the strangest things. _

Irushi draped one hand over the gun, which was pointed at Sano. He looked so relaxed that Sano wondered if it was an act. All of this had been too easy thus far, and it was beginning to feel like something was going to go wrong soon. He knew he had to gain this man's complete trust in order to find out something for this case. Too much rested on this for him to be fooled by Irushi's hospitality. He was so impeccably kind, and gracious that it was unnerving. Sano felt his mind begin to panic. _He welcomed me inside so easily, and like a dumbass I followed. Suppose this is a trap? Suppose he knew everything all along and is luring me to my untimely death? God, I'm so fucking stupid! I've failed Megumi! My ass should burn in hell for this!          _

Sano was brought back from his thoughts when Irushi spoke up. 

"I'm curious to know how you learned to use that sword. From what I heard about the former gangster, Zanza you fought with a Zanbatou but then switched to fighting with your fists. I don't see where the katana fits into this." Irushi smiled. Sano sweated an ocean inside. How the hell was he going to explain that one? _I'm fucked._

          Irushi's smile relaxed into a thoughtful smirk. "That strike you have is most impressive. It must have taken years to perfect that technique, ne?

          Sano was caught in a corner. He couldn't lie. The gangsters here would know it was bullshit. He had to tell this man the truth. "It took one year and a half." 

          Irushi's eyes widened. "Really? How long have you practiced Kenjutsu?"

          Again, Sano chose the truth. "One year and a half."

          Irushi did not hide his surprise. "Is that all? How can you become a master of your craft in such a short time?" 

          Sano thought of Saitou at that moment, that evil smile of his spreading across his face as he called him a weakness. "I had an old score to settle with someone. He called me a weakness and I was determined to prove him wrong."

          "Did you?"

          "I don't know. No! That's a lie, I do know. I did prove him wrong. It was just that one time. But it was enough for him to take it back."

          Irushi looked impressed. "You learn quick. I like that. I can use someone like you to help me, but there is one thing about you that still bothers me. I heard that you worked closely with the Battousai, and you even accompanied him in his fight with Shishio Makoto. What happened to your relationship with the Battousai? Why did you end up here?"

          Sano didn't have to think twice about that one. Saitou's words came to him for guidance. "We had a falling out. He's a great guy and all, but we've always been on different sides of this political struggle. There is no way to deny that. His government betrayed my group and as a result my Boss was executed. I guess I couldn't let it go like I thought I could. But Kenshin understands. That's the way he is. He still looks at me as if I were his friend, but if it should come to pass we may end up on different sides of a fight."

          Irushi studied Sano closely. He narrowed his eyes. "Yes, you may just fight your old friend. How do you feel about that?"

          Sano thought back, about the time he met Kenshin. He had been hired to fight him and he had gotten his ass kicked. He wondered if Irushi knew of this. Then he shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, "It won't be our first fight. It won't even be our second, and who knows, maybe this time around I may actually beat him." 

Irushi was impressed. "My, you can turn against your old friend so easily. May I ask when this falling out began?"

Sano searched his memories for the hatefulness he had succumbed to for ten years. "This falling out began when the government he fought so hard to protect, killed my Boss. Kenshin knows how I feel about that, so if need be I know he will have no problems facing me again. And I'll definitely be ready for him next time."

Sano said all of this with so much conviction that he almost believed his own lie. His thoughts drifted to Kenshin and he wondered how he was taking all of this. He must know about the fight he had with Saitoh by now. The Wolf probably woke up and he probably told Kenshin everything. Everyone at the dojo must know by now. Sano sighed, yet not so obvious as to allow Irushi to notice. _God, what must they be thinking now? It feels as if I betrayed them by not telling them anything about it. Like I don't trust them._

He sat back in his chair looking distracted for just the slightest second yet it was detected by Irushi's perceptive gaze. "Sanosuke, I seem to have lost you. I have one more question for you before we leave for the conference. What do you know about a woman named, Takani Megumi?"

The sound of her name made his heart stop. He wondered how much _this_ _guy_ knew about her. "From what I've heard she's a doctor who helps run a clinic headed by a Dr. Genzai. He's a very well known doctor here and so is Takani Megumi." 

Irushi gave him a blank stare. "Battousai is friends with her. She went to work for that doctor because the Battousai rescued her from her old drug-dealing employer. But, I heard that he wasn't alone in that rescue. You were also there to lend him a hand."

That answered Sano's question about how much this guy knew. "You know a lot about me. Why all the questions then?"

Irushi's hand wrapped around the gun. His index finger rested on the trigger as his thumb pulled back the lever just above the gun's handle. The sound of that lever snapping back resonated throughout the room and it made Sano silently begin to pray. Then Saitoh's words of wisdom came to haunt him: _Rule number one of undercover work: Don't get your stupid ass KILLED!_  Irushi still kept the gun pressed against the table, but he looked as if he itched to pick it up and aim for a much more lethal spot than Sano's chest. 

"As a former gangster you should know a lot about covering your ass. Questions play a significant part in who I trust and who I kill. If you would like to walk out of this room alive then follow this simple rule. I ask the questions and you give me the answers. That should not be difficult at all. If you answer my questions with one of your own then I will only get suspicious." 

Sano didn't want to find out how serious this guy was, but the fighter in him didn't appreciate being humbled by a gun. "If my walking out alive depends on how well I face up to your gun then you'll be disappointed when I shove it right up your ass, and then if I feel like it I'll pull the trigger."  

Irushi visibly pulled back in shock clamping his teeth together so that his jaw would not drop open. He obviously didn't expect a comment like that. Then he did something that made Sano's heart freeze for five torturous seconds. He laughed. He threw his head back and let out an uproarious laugh that echoed throughout the nearly empty room. Sano suspected that this was bad, and so he was ready for anything. His eyes gazed at the gun, at the fingers wrapped around it, at the katanas that were now being pulled out of his belt. Irushi looked as if he were going to fall backwards any minute. Sano looked calm, as opposed to how he actually felt. He was ready for the worst.

Irushi's laughter subsided and he wiped the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes. Then he looked at Sanosuke. "It seems that the rumors about you are true. No situation scares you. That was pretty funny. If I would have laughed any harder these katanas would have jabbed right into my ribs. Your remark gave me a good laugh, and contrary to what you might be thinking it has also been forgiven." He eyed Sano hopefully and then continued. "As I mentioned before, my questions help me decide who I am able to trust. I understand that _you_ want to see if I may be trusted, so all I'll ask of you is that you see this with me as well. Just answer this question for me. Do you have an affiliation with Takani Megumi?"  

Sano didn't miss a beat. "My friendship with Takani ended when Kenshin and I parted ways." He thought about her flirtatious nature. "She's so in love with him she'll do anything to support him." Irushi nodded his head at that answer and took his hand off the gun. Sano subtly sighed with relief. Being back on Irushi's good side made much more sense than antagonizing him, but he wondered if the question and the remark were truly forgiven. He was a gang leader after all. Their word couldn't be trusted. But this game that they were playing was getting old, and time was running short for Megumi. He thought about her smile, and her mischevious little laugh. _I gotta get this right. Do it and go back to my Megumi. I really need to see her. I want to tell her that I love her... _

"You look pre-occupied again, Sanosuke." Sano came back from his mental wandering and gazed absently at Irushi. He looked suspiciously at Sano. Then he grinned. "I don't space out like that unless I'm thinking about a woman," he offered lightly and then grinned even wider. 

_Is he a goddamned mind reader?_ Now Sano was suspicious. He wondered where that remark came from and where Irushi was going with it. He was indeed thinking about a woman, but he wasn't about to tell _him_ who it was. "Feh! Who has time for girls? My life is complicated enough. Girls are nothing but trouble."

Irushi nodded his head. "I agree, but one must make time for that special woman don't you think, Sagara-san?"

Megumi came to mind again.  He wanted to see her face one more time. He wanted to kiss her lips, feel her grow soft in his arms, and hear her sigh when he whispered her name. They had just started their relationship. There was so much that he wanted, and once all this was finished he would make all the time in the world for her. Now he had work to do. A mind to manipulate into his favor, and from what he gathered from Kyuuto Irushi, it wasn't too late for that. He had an idea on how to test his theory and get some information with it. He nodded his head to Irushi's question and then braced himself as he presented one of his own.

           "Forgive me for prying, but I notice that you speak Japanese with an accent. Were you not born here?"

          Irushi was taken aback for a second. He obviously hadn't expected that either. "Of course I was. I lived in Japan for nine years until I met Mr. Austin, and I was taken to live with him in America. Twelve years of the Mississippi drawl can affect anyone's speech."

          "It sure can. You have a lazy way of speaking it. If I heard your voice without actually seeing you face to face, I wouldn't take you seriously," Sanosuke said, purposely taunting him. 

          Irushi raised his eyebrows, and smiled widely. "No one ever did until they saw me fight." Then the smile quickly faded.  "I had a lot to prove back then. My time there was tough, just as my life was here during the Bakumatsu. My last memory of Japan was of watching my parents die right in front of me at the hands of renegade thieves who had nothing else better to do during the war. I don't remember what happened afterward. Sometime during my lapse I believe I met Mr. Austin because my next memory was of being on board a ship that was on its way to America. But I soon found out that America wasn't a land of dreams for me. At least not at first. I had to get past the feelings of contempt from Mr. Austin's family; and the pure hatred of the people in town." Irushi closed his eyes. "It took me years to gain the respect of those people in Mississippi." He opened them and glanced at his cabinet of weapons, "But I eventually did. They take me seriously now and in just a short while the people of Japan will take me seriously as well." 

 Irushi paused again. Sano noticed that his brows knotted and his expression turned from calm to agitated. The memories were still strong. His eyes were fixed squarely on him again, and Sano felt a tiny line of sweat break out beneath his headband.

          "You hate the Meiji government don't you, Sanosuke? Of course you do. The Meiji government is a result of years of civil unrest and betrayal. You know about betrayal. Sagara Souzou was a victim of betrayal was he not?" 

          The mention of his fallen friend's name always made Sano somber. A shadow of lament crept over his heart for just a brief moment.

          "My hatred for the Meiji government is what drives me. A government that can't face up to the fact that it was built on lies and the shedding of innocent blood shouldn't be allowed to continue on and ruin the people any more than it has. My feelings will never change, and as much as you agree with them, I never again want to hear my master's name come out of your mouth." Sano said these last words through gritted teeth, his jaw clamped so tightly shut that it ached. He expected to have that gun pointed in his face again, or to already feel a bullet tear into him, but none of that happened. Irushi merely regarded Sano with a slight nod.

          "I didn't realize that your master was such a sensitive subject. I apologize. Your outburst was more of an answer than I needed. I'm very impressed." Irushi pulled his feet down from the desk and sat so that he leaned forward. "You are very different from the rest of my army. You actually live up to the rumors I've heard about you. I heard so many fantastic things that I was determined to find you one day, and I'm glad that I didn't have to look so hard, because you came to me instead."

          Irushi stood up and Sano clumsily got out of his chair. Irushi was staring intently at him again and he felt another line of sweat form on his brow. Irushi's eyes narrowed slightly.

           "I have heard enough. It is time for you to meet Mr. Austin." His demeanor changed; the open fellow he was a few minutes ago quickly disappeared, and the cold facade of a killer took its place. Within those eyes, Sano saw the number of lives that this man took. They far outnumbered that of Kenshin. Then Sano looked deeper into those icy dark pits, and felt a chill pass through him. He turned away from Irushi's glare, and started for the door. He waited patiently until he felt Irushi's presence behind him. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Sanosuke. Is there something wrong?" 

          Sano felt his insides go weak. He turned stiffly to face Irushi. He had a slight smile on his face, and his eyes were imploring with genuine concern. The open fellow was back again. But Sano had seen enough. He shook his head to say that he was fine, when he actually wanted to succumb to the weakness in his knees and sink to the floor. He wasn't really into spiritual stuff and all, but he couldn't mistake what he saw in Irushi's eyes. Among those nameless faces of dead foes, Sanosuke saw his own among them. 

          Irushi chuckled and clapped Sano on the back. "You had me worried for a minute. Come. The meeting is going to begin and I can't be late for it again. Mr. Austin says the next one I miss will find me sleeping outside. Not that I haven't done that before. I actually wouldn't mind sleeping outside. It is a beautiful night. Don't you agree, Sanosuke?" 

          Sano only nodded and followed Irushi out of the room. He walked behind the warrior feeling as if he were walking to an execution. _His_ execution. As they passed the guards who looked him over again with their curiosity, Sano thought of Megumi. He felt a dull ache begin to surface within the walls of his heart. If only he could see her again, he wanted to tell her he was sorry. So goddamn sorry. 


	10. Chapter 10

**All For Love**

**Disclaimer: ** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Ten

          Megumi folded her arms and pursed her lips in determination. She was not going to have it. Ken-san wanted her to stay in the Dojo with Kaoru and Yahiko, while he and Saitou went to rescue Sano. _What kind of a woman do they take me for? I have to go and see that Sanosuke is okay. I have to see for myself... _She stopped for a moment. The thought that passed through her mind made her shudder. _I have to see him before he is gone..._

          Megumi shook her head to get the thought out. _What are you thinking Baka! This is Sanosuke. He has fought strong enemies before, and without a sword at that, so just stop it! _Yet the more she tried to fight the more she felt the sting of tears form behind her eyes. In just a few short days she had come to the point where she could not see herself without that damned Roosterhead. How could they think that she would stay? _If anyone is going to bring Sanosuke back home, it will be me._

          Kenshin frowned as he watched her, knowing that it was going to be a useless battle with her. But he had promised Sano, and he was not going to give up on this. He took a deep breath before he continued.  "Megumi-dono, you must understand why I want you to remain here. Where it is _safe_," he said emphasizing his last word, hoping that would make her get the point. Although he was known for being rather calm and reasonable, he had to admit that Megumi was beginning to wear on his nerves.  "If you come with me then I won't be able to concentrate on rescuing Sano. I'll have you to worry about, and that may just be enough to put us all in danger. Can you please understand this, Megumi-dono?" 

          A snort came from the dark corner of the dojo, followed by a cloud of cigarette smoke. "Give it up, Battousai. The fox is too determined, and we don't have time to argue with her. If she insists on joining us then let her. I for one won't care about her presence. But do keep this in mind Fox, that I have made no promise to your rooster. Your safety is secondary to my motives for entering the Austin Compound. If you get yourself into trouble, then I will say right now that it has been a pleasure." 

          Megumi stared at the silhouette nestled among the shadows and thought that she saw a glimmer of those amber eyes through the darkness. She never liked Saitou Hajime. And since she discovered he was the principle figure in Sano's situation, she liked him even less. Then, on top of that, he thought that she was a simpleton; just a weak woman who could do nothing but get in the way. 

_            Well lets face it. All you've ever done these past few days is cry and whine. What do you expect a man like that to think? Kenshin must be annoyed with you as well!_

          Megumi pulled back as if she had been struck. _Who said that?_ she thought to herself. She looked around. Kaoru sat silently sipping tea, with Yahiko beside her quietly observing everyone. That left Kenshin, and the Wolf in the corner. The voice had been firm, and scolding. Kenshin could sound firm to the point of being deadly, and Saitou made a living out of scolding people-but it wasn't either of them. The voice had been soft, feminine, and taunting. The only voice she could think of was-

          She gasped. She looked around again noting how the scene had quickly changed. Kaoru was silent, gazing at her knowingly. She had heard the words, as had everyone else, for Megumi had said these words to herself. The past few days were proof that she was indeed weak. Kaoru would be a better choice to join them. She was strong, and could fend for herself. _What the hell do I know how to do but cry? _Megumi lowered her head, and she heard a sigh come from the corner of the dojo. She could almost hear his lips curl into a smirk, scrutinizing her and convincing himself that he was right to call her a weakness...just as he had called Sanosuke. 

          Megumi's head snapped up, and she glared hard at the silhouette of Saitou Hajime.  "Now you listen to me," she began, her voice lowering into a growl. She saw his eyebrows rise.  "I don't care whether you protect me or not. I'm not some fragile female who needs constant attention. Sano needs me there, whether you, he, or anyone else believes it or not. If anyone is to bring him home it's going to be me. He is doing all of this for me, and I'm not going to let a psychotic creep like you stop me from granting him the courtesy of thanking him. Besides, I'm a doctor and who knows if my expertise will be needed? If Sano is hurt, then I want to be there to make him well. If that bothers you Saitou-san, then perhaps you can stay and lick your back wound. I'm sure Ken-san, and I will be fine."

          Kenshin's eyes grew into that unusually large size again, and Kaoru looked as if she were going to faint. They both looked at Saitou who had gotten over the initial shock of her speech, and merely sat stone-faced with a cigarette dangling between his fingers. His amber eyes bore through the darkness again at Megumi. She pursed her lips, and flipped her hair over her shoulder refusing to be intimidated. It was about time that someone stood up to that intolerable cop. No matter how Sano had explained it, she still could not believe that Saitou had the best motives for him-especially with that deep slash on his back. _He must think of a different way to kill Sano with every throb of pain that surfaces_. Megumi thought sadly shaking her head. As a doctor she couldn't let him suffer with that pain, especially if they were going to face a large group of thugs. He wasn't going to be at his full potential but he would at least have some relief. Megumi softened her gaze, and granted Saitou a soft smile. He raised an eyebrow.

          "Kitsune, your wiles will not work on me. I am a happily married man." 

          "What makes you think she's doing that?" Kaoru asked disgustedly.

          "Saitou-san, I only bestow my wiles on the one I love. What I merely want to do is take a look at that wound. It may get worse, and you definitely won't be in any shape to fend for yourself, much less rescue Sanosuke. Do I have your permission to examine you?" 

          He snorted in the corner, but did not totally dismiss the offer. Kenshin stood up and slipped his Sakaba sword into his belt. He turned to Saitou. "I think that Megumi-dono can really help you out right now, and at the compound. She is right. We may need a doctor, and I did promise Sano that I would watch over her, so that would mean that she has to be with me at all times. Everything will be all right Saitou. Megumi-dono can take care of herself just as well as Kaoru-dono can. I'm not worried at all." 

          No more smoke came from the corner. The eyes had stopped gleaming, and a low growl resonated the entire Dojo.  "Humph!"  Megumi almost jumped out of her skin.  "If the fox gets caught then I will give the rooster her regards."  He shakily made it to his feet. He was at the door of the dojo when he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Kenshin.  "Battousai."  

          Kenshin looked at Saitou, expecting a put down, but there was no sarcasm in his voice. No relentless gleam in his eyes, so that his characteristic menacing demeanor was gone. He looked humbled and it seemed to take almost every bit of energy out of him. He turned away and let out a deep sigh. His words came in a whisper.  "Battousai. I put all of my trust into you. I grant all power and authority to you until I feel well enough to resume my responsibilities again."  He glanced at Megumi who had stood up to leave.  "Kitsune where do you think you're going? You have a patient to deal with, and I must warn you that I can be rather grouchy if I am not treated with the utmost care. I will be in your office. Meet me there in a few minutes. Oh, and Battousai, don't get too accustomed to my job. I'm not so badly injured that I have to permanently hand over my position. I will return shortly and then we can be on our way." With that Saitou exited the dojo leaving the others with their shock. 

          Yahiko, without noticing it, had held his breath for the entire time and finally realized that he would pass out if he did not take in some much needed air. He turned his head to look up at Kaoru. She was lost in her own thoughts, gazing at the doorway that Saitou had just vacated. It was weird. The damned psycho cop was asking Kenshin for help. No. He was asking Kenshin to assume all duties for him, because he knew that he was in no shape to handle it by himself. Yahiko shook his head, still not believing he had been awake to witness that. A helpless Saitou was indeed something he would not forget for a long time. _Wait until I tell this to Sanosuke. He'll get a kick out of that one...unless Saitou kills him first. Feh! The cop's in no shape to do anything major to Sano. Look where their last fight got him! _

          Yahiko felt Kaoru's grip on his shoulder weaken and he saw that she made her way over to where Kenshin stood. He stared at the doorway as well, as did Megumi who had not moved to follow her patient. She then turned her eyes on Kenshin. "Ken-san. I have to go now and take care of Saitou-san. When I am finished, we will go," she said quietly, and bowed her head before she made her way to the door. A voice stopped her from leaving. 

          "Megumi-san." She turned around to see Kaoru by her side. She had her hand gripped between both of hers, and her gaze was filled with all of the things that she herself had on her mind. It was going to be dangerous, and she was doubtful. Megumi sighed. 

          Kaoru's grip grew tighter.  "Megumi-san. Won't you please reconsider and stay here? I know how much you want to see Sanosuke but the fact is you will only be in the way. If you stay here then I will protect you. It is what I have learned to do with Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Kenshin won't be breaking his promise to Sano. You will be just fine here. Much safer than if you were to go to that awful place with Kenshin, and Saitou. Megumi, please stay here. Kenshin will bring Sano back home. I know he will. He was able to bring Shinomori Aoshi back to Misao-chan. If he can do that then I know that he will bring back Sanosuke."

          Megumi listened to Kaoru's words, as did Kenshin and Yahiko. Yahiko held up his shinai in a gesture to say that he would protect her as well. Kenshin merely looked thoughtful, not expecting Kaoru's speech to have much effect. He was right to think so. Megumi smiled weakly, and gently pulled her hand out of Kaoru's grip. 

          "Kaoru-san."  Kaoru pulled back at the use of such a formal address from Megumi. She was always "silly girl", or just plain "Kaoru". This was so unlike Megumi, that it unnerved her. She held her breath.        

"Kaoru-san, I appreciate your concern and your offer and I believe that you are capable of protecting me. I admire your strength and willingness to help those who are in need of it. But my place is with Sanosuke. I want to stand by him and bring him home, just like you did for Ken-san. I am asking you as a woman and as a friend to please understand why I want to do this. You of all people should know what it is like to fear losing the one you care about. I don't know what I would do without Sanosuke." She paused a moment and giggled softly, while she shook her head.  "Can you believe that I am actually saying this about that Baka Chicken-head? Kaoru-san, what has come over me? What has Sanosuke done to me?"

          Kaoru smiled coyly as she glanced at Kenshin, who stood by the doorway returning the same gesture. Yahiko watched the display with mock disgust.

          "If you both start kissing then I'm going to be the one going with Megumi and Saitou." Yahiko thought about that for a moment and then he shuddered.  "Megumi, you think we could leave the psycho cop here? We don't _really_ need him do we?" 

          Kenshin, Kaoru, and Megumi burst into laughter, but then immediately fell silent. Yahiko wondered why they stopped so quickly.

          "Ahou, I heard that! You'd get yourself lost once you left the backyard."  Yahiko almost jumped through the dojo's roof. He fell into a fit of hyperventilation, and glared angrily at Saitou who had appeared in the doorway just as Yahiko had said his piece.

          "Kitsune, we don't have all night. Tend to my wounds and then tuck that little boy in. It's past his bedtime," he said flashing Yahiko a wicked smirk. Kaoru grabbed Yahiko and dragged him out before he could erupt on Saitou. Kenshin nervously watched them leave, and then turned to Saitou.

          "I will prepare while Megumi-dono takes care of you. I accept all responsibilities as of this moment, and I will relinquish them when you feel that you are able to assume them once again. Is there anyone I need to contact?"

          Saitou shook his head. "I have 500 officers stationed around Tokyo, ready to go when they get the signal. All that's left is our arrival." Saitou made his way to the door and then paused again to glance back at Kenshin. "All of this depends on the state of mind that Sanosuke is in. I sincerely hope that he is level enough. How he deals with the compound will determine how we make our move. I am hoping that we will not be forced to ambush because the odds of his coming out alive might be slim. Battousai, prepare yourself for the worst."


	11. Chapter 11

All for Love

**Disclaimer:** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment. 

Chapter Eleven

          Sano followed Irushi through one more tunnel, the one that led into the mansion. He noticed the lush furniture and the beautifully embroidered drapery. _This guy must be loaded_, he thought to himself as he stopped to admire a suit of armor that was propped up near one of the doors. He reached up to touch it when Irushi's hand came to halt him. 

          "That is a priceless piece of medieval history! One touch will cause it to fall apart! Now I ask that you back away slowly. Yes, that's it." Irushi's expression of anxiety did not fade until they were both down the hall in front of a massive wooden door.

          "Please do not touch these pieces. I have wandered far to collect these for Mr. Austin, and he's got some odd sort of sixth sense so that he just KNOWS when someone's been fiddling with his collection. I've had to kill many warriors who were much too curious, Sanosuke- and much too greedy," he added darkly, raising his hand finally to knock on the door. He paused a moment before he reached over and turned the knob.

"Get ready Sanosuke. You are about to meet the one person who is responsible for making me who I am today. I truly admire him. I know that you will like him too." And with that Irushi pushed the heavy door open. 

The hinges screeched as the door moved slowly away from them, and Irushi left Sano's side, gliding smoothly over the marble tiled floor, and up an incline of stairs to situate himself beside a throne.  On the throne sat an elderly man dressed in a fine white fabric suit, nothing like the clothing that Irushi wore. He had no sharp metal circles on his boots, and no weapons hung at his hip. His shoes were black, polished to shine, and on his head he wore a white hat. This old man looked sharp down to the thick cigar that he puffed on repeatedly, but that caused a fit of coughs to suddenly explode out of his mouth. It sounded as if his lungs would soon follow. 

Sano discreetly raised an eyebrow. That high-classed image couldn't hide that fact that Austin was ill. He wasn't sure how long he could hold back. _THIS was the man who had such an impact on Irushi's life; some old guy from a foreign country, with no honor, and one whole leg in the grave?_ Sano couldn't take his eyes off of the frail figure sitting above as if he were a god. This guy couldn't be for real. None of it made any sense. Why would this old bastard have such a grudge against Japan? He could understand why Irushi would harbor such feelings, but he couldn't see how this connected to Austin. He had lost his son and with that a fortune in an oil empire. Was that enough motivation for such a huge vendetta? As Sano looked at the exchange that now took place between the two, he wondered if any of this trouble was coming from the old man at all. 

          Irushi took the cigar from the old man's fingers and put the flame out on the hilt of his sword. The old man glared up at him, but Irushi seemed not to notice.  "Mr. Austin, you know how bad these are for you yet you still insist on smoking them. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you," Irushi scolded gently pocketing the cigar. The old man narrowed his eyes.

          "You say that all of the time, but I always manage to do what I want. Everyone here fears you, but they love my money. A tip here and there behind your back gets me any food, any drug, and any whore that I want. You could learn from me. Being intimidating all of the time can only work for so long, Corpus. No one has left my services yet. You haven't scared anyone away."

          Irushi looked amused. "That's because I killed them before they could think about being scared. Now, you're being rude in front of my guest. I have brought someone from downtown Tokyo who may be rather useful to us. A former gangster named Sagara Sanosuke. He's got a unique fighting style and determination tougher than your mother's buffalo steaks, but there's something about him that bothers me."

          "Okay, then look further into it, if he seems that suspicious. But he looks impressive. Strong, with a lot of endurance. Let's hope that he's not a rat- and let's hope that your crack about my mother's cooking doesn't filter on back to the States. She may be 82 years old, but she'll pick up her shotgun and shoot you on sight if she sees you even attempting to walk up the road." Austin grinned up at him, and Irushi shot him a look of mock fear.

          Sano stood at the door patiently watching them, wondering what it was they were saying. The only words he understood from the two were his own last and first name.  _Hmm. So they're discussing me now. I wonder if I can keep this up for much longer. Saitou would be much impressed if I got these two to tell me anything else of what they're doing. I wonder if he had some undercover ass follow me in here. It would be like that goddamned wolf!  _

          Irushi turned now to face him.  "Sanosuke, please come up here. Mr. Austin would like to personally say hello to you."  Sano took a deep breath and made his way up the short incline of steps to confront the man who was allegedly making so much trouble for Megumi. Unbeknownst to both men, Sano gave Henry Austin the once over. It was a trick he learned from Saitou, which he had to admit, was quite useful. From what he scanned off the old man he was right to assume that he was sick. The cough was a symptom of a serious illness, which made him seem much older than what he was. If Sano guessed correctly, Henry Austin was at the most sixty years old. His condition made him weak, therefore causing Irushi to take such care with him. From what he saw of his hair it was white, as was his beard, and his skin was pale with blotches of red on his cheeks, and forehead. His hands looked rough, yet wrinkled with the same kind of blotches around them. They were not strong hands. This old man was no major threat on his own. The threat was the young Japanese warrior who stood protectively next to him. 

          Irushi held his hand out as a gesture of welcome.  "Sanosuke, I would like you to meet my benefactor, Mr. Henry Austin."  He circled his arm around Sano's shoulders and pulled him forward to the old man. Sano's first impulse was to shake the man's arm off, and flip him down the stairs. Yet he reminded himself that this was part of the job and allowed himself to be led closer to Henry Austin. Sano had no idea how to say hello in English, so he stuck to his usual polite greetings and granted Austin a slight bow. Henry Austin bowed in return and said politely in Japanese, "Welcome to my home, Sagara-san."

 Sano almost fainted at the sound of his language coming out of this man's mouth. He figured that Irushi must have taught it to him. The pronunciation was not perfect but it was good enough to communicate with the ignorant scum whom he associated with. Sano quickly collected himself and fell into his old personality of the gangster, Zanza. He looked around surveying the room and a long whistle escaped his lips.

          "So how did you manage to get yourself such a nice pad while the rest of us are living in slums? My apartment building couldn't even fill up half of this room."  Sano met Austin's eyes with an icy stare. "What are you doing in my territory, old man?"

          Austin regarded him humbly. "Your territory? Well let me apologize to you then. I was very rude to move in without letting you know that I had business to take care of in town. Please accept my sincerest apologies. I'm here because I'm trying to gather the strongest men on my team. I have plans for Tokyo, and it would be an honor if you would allow me to follow through on them with you at my side. I've heard lots of stories about you, and Irushi couldn't stop talking about you once we arrived in Japan. He wanted to meet you desperately, and I'm glad that he was able to find you." He stopped and glanced up at Irushi. "I'm really impressed, Corpus. You know how to pick a warrior." Austin turned back to Sano. "I would love for you to join our group. What do you say, Sagara-san?"

          Sano was taken aback. How could this be so easy? _No! Don't allow this to be so easy. Be the badass you were known to be. Don't let them see that so much within you has changed. _He shook his head, and took a few steps back. He felt Irushi's eyes burn holes into him. He knew that they must be searching for any sign of deceit, and he had to make sure that his cover was legitimate. 

          "Che, you think it's gonna be that simple? I was very well known in my time and I don't come cheap. I ran all of Tokyo, and I'm going to resume my old position as its gang leader- even if it means that I have to take you out. What kind of deal do _you_ have that could interest me?"

          Irushi stood impassively beside Austin whose lips began to spread into a wide smile. He looked up to Irushi again, and poked him in the ribs. "You know, he has your spirit, Corpus." He then turned to Sano. "I like your attitude, Sagara-san. Here is what I have to propose. You will work with Corpus on my most secretive plan. He has helped me devise a way to get all of Tokyo to follow someone who can make things right in this city. I don't know if Corpus has indulged you yet, but I once had a son and he died of cholera in a city called Aizu.  He couldn't be cured just like so many of the other people who contracted that horrible illness and then eventually succumbed to it. It hurt me tremendously, but it was also sad to see so many others suffering with no way of being cured. That made me think of a cause that will benefit the good people of this country. I can help this country out tremendously with my financial support, but the authorities don't see the image I have painted for them. They still want to embrace the old ways but times are changing, and it is time that this place got a glimpse of what it is missing. That is why I need your help. I need you to help these people see that what I have in mind is for their own good, and if this Meiji government refuses to be open to it, then we need to get rid of them. They are not doing a good job. They had such a bloody battle to gain leadership, and now twelve years into the new government and they barely know what to do with themselves let alone the rest of the population. I need you to help me open their eyes."

          Sano raised his hand as a gesture for Austin to stop. His mind was reeling from his words, and this was just the motive for all of this trouble. _How does this guy plan to take over Tokyo? _ 

"Your sentiment is nice, Mr. Austin but I heard that you were planning some violence of your own. Even though I was out of commission for a couple of years I still heard some things here and there. I heard that you have something against a lady doctor in Tokyo, so much so that you had somebody try to rape her. Something like that doesn't convince me that you have good intentions for Tokyo. I may not like this government, and these cops can pretty much kiss my ass, but this is my city and I don't want the people here to get hurt by someone who doesn't belong here. If you want us to work together then think of some non-violent way to appeal to the people since you are, after all accusing my country of committing all of these acts of violence. The people have had enough, and just want to live their lives. If I can make it as easy for them as possible, then I'm in. Other than that, I'm going to have to run you out of here." Sano momentarily met Irushi's eyes, and his knees almost went weak. He actually saw a scowl on his face, and it made Sano nervous. He kept an impassive face, and met the scowl with one of his own. He hoped that it wasn't too tinged with the worry he was actually feeling.

          Irushi snorted and shook his head. Mr. Austin sat beside him, quietly studying Sano.  "My, for a merciless gangster you certainly have a lot of compassion. Why should you care about what we do to these people? Why should you care about what we do to some lady doctor? She happens to be, Takani Megumi, the daughter of that doctor who could not cure Mr. Austin's son. She is nothing but a whore who fell in with a bad group and ended up becoming a drug dealer. How is it that she is allowed to practice medicine with her background? She is the typical example of those corrupt people who get away with murder and then go on and _live their lives_ as if that will make it all go away. There's someone else like that as well, and I can't stand it that he still lives. Your friend Himura Battousai has got to be the supreme hypocrite to walk these streets of Tokyo. He taints the new era with his mere existence, and he preaches non-violence when he was the deadliest killer of his time. How can this government allow someone like him to live? This era is filled with Himura Battousai's who have done wrong yet pay nothing for it. I want to see people like that banished from Japan-and if they refuse to go peacefully, then I will just exterminate them."

          Sano felt his breath catch in his throat and for a moment he couldn't breathe. So he wanted to get rid of people like Kenshin, and Megumi because he felt that they paid nothing for their crimes. _God, the ignorance of this guy! If he only knew what Kenshin had done for not only Tokyo but for all of Japan. If he only saw the skill that Megumi had for treating those who had severe conditions. Her touch is like something sent from God!  _Sano stopped and met Irushi's hard gaze again. He sighed. _If he knew any of this it wouldn't make a goddamned difference because he's so convinced of his cause. This guy has a huge chip on his shoulder. How far can this go before he gets tired of my resisting him?_

"Sanosuke."

          Sano jumped at the sound of his name. It was Irushi who had said his name.  "Sanosuke, I want to try and understand what you are proposing. If you are to become part of our faction, it must be on your terms. Your terms are that we try and influence the people of Tokyo to trust our ideas through non-violent means because you do not want to hurt anyone. What kind of bullshit is that?"

          Sano felt his heart begin to beat rapidly. Irushi's eyes turned to fire as he moved one step away from Austin's side. His hand rested on the hilt of his Katana his fingers gently rubbing at the metal. 

          "I spent some hours with you explaining my past and how I came to be with Mr. Austin, and you have the nerve to suggest that we adjust our plans so that no one gets hurt! Let me tell you exactly what will happen, Sanosuke. I will infiltrate the police department and become one of their top officers. Once I am entrusted and bestowed with praise for my good work, then I will begin to destroy its reputation. There will be horrible murders in the streets of Tokyo committed by a policeman. I will leave nice, obvious clues that lead these crimes directly to the police department. The murders will be horrendous because I have pretty hard feelings towards Japan in general, and could care less whether a few civilians taste the blade of my sword, or kiss the barrel of my gun. This will cause the public to run amok with fear of the police, and break free of its control. At this point I will no longer be a part of the police department, and therefore I will organize a revolt against them where all of the poor civilians, and the gangsters will fight to regain control of the peace that they will believe has been taken from them. The samurai who have put away their swords will happily take them on again. Once I get the support of the people then I will spread this attack to other regions. The Japanese government will be unable to control such a massive amount of angry citizens that it will be at the threshold of another civil war. And once that begins to ferment I will introduce Mr. Austin as the one who will save Japan from its miserable state."

          _God, he is mad! _Sano thought to himself. He felt the sweat on is forehead slide down his face. Something was getting closer, and he knew that it wasn't good. The aura around Irushi was black, and the words he spoke seeped with the hatred of someone who had no kind of compassion. He had something against Japan, and he meant to make it pay for all the hardships he had experienced. 

_            He's mad just like Shishio Makoto, but he seems to have an added ally in Austin. He's from another nation and Irushi has those foreign influences, which make him more of a foreign enemy than a local one. Austin's homeland is very powerful. If they get the people to revolt against each other there will be no unity. Without unity then there is no way to defend against those outsiders who want to move in and create their own twisted way of life. Suppose Austin's country is in on this entire idea? How would Japan look to them? They would make us look weak to the rest of the world and then we would be at their mercy. _

Sano's head swam with one incredulous idea after another; the war between his people, the bloody battles for justice- the fall of his country. Sano couldn't stop thinking about it, and he knew that he was giving away too much with the expression of worry that colored his face. This was too much. How would Saitou and Kenshin stop this guy from proceeding with any of this? Would this be like it was with Shishio? Would they be able to defeat them? 

Sano's hand unconsciously went to his katana, and Irushi immediately drew his sword and struck. The movement was too fast. Sano had no time to react or block it. From its speed he knew that Irushi's blade had connected but there was something odd about it. He waited a moment and then looked himself over. No pain. No blood. Then he felt something. His bangs came down over his eyes, as his red bandana loosened, and slid down the sides of his head. He held out his hand and caught it before it could hit the ground. He looked it over quickly; it had been sliced in half- right at his forehead. Sano gasped. _This guy could have split my forehead apart! _ He looked up and met Irushi's gaze. His heart froze.

          "Sanosuke, I must apologize for acting so rash. I am very jumpy around fellow warriors, especially when they are in the presence of Mr. Austin. As you can see I am very protective of him. He is very old and feeble, and he can't fend for himself. That's what I am here for. Right?" Irushi glanced down at Austin who smiled gratefully up at him. "I have taken the place of your lost son, and I'm going to avenge his unnecessary death among other things." He turned to Sano again. "Japan has been long over due for a new era, Sanosuke. The Meiji Era is corrupt. It is worse that the Isshin Shishi. Everyone is a crook, and to be a crook is to be a coward. Instead of fighting for beliefs, you all feel that you can buy them. The only ones who seem to go by the old code of fighting for honor are the gangsters which is why I have associated myself with them."

          Sano's shock faded and he shook his head sadly. "Fighting for honor? Yakuza fight for one thing and it's themselves. There is no honor in selfishness. How do you plan to unite a bunch of scum to fight for your cause?" 

          Irushi narrowed his eyes. "How is it that you have such ill feelings toward your kindred? Are you not the one who is the worst of them? Zanza the gangster, who decided to take this on as his lifestyle for what the Isshin government did to his group the Sekihou Tai. You became a gangster because you hated what they did to your master. You felt cast aside by a government that had nothing but selfish ideas. You fought for yourself, and grew strong for yourself. You were amazingly strong, and well known for it-until you met that bastard the Battousai. That pompous piece of shit caused you to believe that you were weak just because you couldn't beat him. But, you fought for your ideas. _Your_ ideas. You did not fight for anyone else. Your fights were not over a cause that would benefit Japan and the Meiji Era. You fought for yourself...at one time."

          Irushi's last words revealed it. Sano met his calm gaze, and it was all there. "At one time..." his voice trailed off. He congratulated himself on being able to get them to tell him their plans. Now if only he had someone to leak all of this information to then he could congratulate himself on a job well done. But looking at Irushi it seemed as if that was not going to happen.


	12. Chapter 12

All For Love

Chapter Twelve

          "How many officers do you have on standby?"

          The Wolf looked down at the Rurouni. His amber gaze hardened as they met the violet eyes of the latter. He expected incompetence, but was granted a smile.  "One thousand. They have surrounded the Austin Compound and are awaiting their order to attack. We shouldn't wait too long to go inside. I get an odd feeling whenever I think about Sano."  The smile faded and the expression grew hard.  "I want to get him out of there already. There is no need for him to be in there anymore. If you want information then you can always beat it out of one of the gang members. But I will wait no longer."

          The amber eyes softened slightly. He nodded his head and looked ahead at the immense structure before them. It loomed against the mountain, ominous in its size.  "I want him out of there as well. He has done enough. It's time to relieve him."

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *        

          Megumi had slipped quietly away from Kenshin and Saitou as they had their conversation. She moved swiftly avoiding a group of police officers that were posted just behind the spread of forest. They hid themselves so as not to be noticed by anyone in the compound. She was impressed. She always thought that the police just ambushed scenes, and killed anyone within arms reach of them. But this time they were calm and patient; perhaps they were cautious because they knew that a fellow officer was inside. 

Megumi moved on, ducking expertly into the greenery of the bushes so that she could get to the base of the mountain. She had noticed a faint light coming from the side and she wanted to see if it were some kind of secret opening. If she could determine that, then they just might be able to sneak inside and possibly take care of things before they became too dangerous. 

          Megumi got closer. Just a few hundred feet. She strained her eyes in the darkness, and moved a few more yards. She peered at the faint light again. _YES! It is an opening! _ She held her breath in excitement. _We have_ _a way to sneak in! I have to tell Ken-san before it's too late.  _She backed away a bit. The opening was among shrubbery so they would not be seen when they made their entrance. It was perfect. Megumi felt her heart beat as she thought of the prospects. _Sanosuke, we're getting so close. Just a matter of moments before I can see you again-!_

She heard a footstep behind her. Then she saw darkness. 

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *        

          Irushi moved closer so that he stood right before Sanosuke. Sano was taller than this man, and so he had to shift his gaze to look down at him. What he saw made him want to pass out. Irushi's eyes had grown darker than their original black color, if that was possible, covering the entire lense so that there seemed to be nothing but ooze floating within the eye sockets. Sano couldn't stop a shudder from going down the length of his spine. He wondered if this is how the eyes of a demon looked. 

          Irushi moved closer still until he had to crane his head back to look up at Sano. His eyes narrowed as he regarded the gangster with scrutiny. Sano sucked in his breath but made no move to push Irushi away. He didn't want to touch this man, but he felt his own strength drain away with each second he stood where he was, glaring up at him. Sano felt it all now, the evil that this man had become and the intention he had to destroy all that Japan had struggled to become. He had a huge chip on his shoulder and Sano wondered if he was strong enough to flick it off and knock some sense into him. 

Sano took a deep breath and searched those wickedly horrible eyes again. He saw nothing that would lead Irushi to believe that he had been betrayed. Irushi merely doubted Sano's credibility, and he was trying to see if he could intimidate him into a confession. Sano resisted the urge to sigh with relief, for he had not totally lost this man's trust. Now that it was established he shook off any fear and repulsion he had left, and showed Irushi some more of the gangster, Zanza.

          Sano grabbed a handful of Irushi's collar, and lifted him up so that his feet dangled inches above the floor. He pulled the man close so that Irushi had no choice but to look into his eyes. Sano winked. "Hey, if you want me to stick around and help, we're going to have to discuss something called personal space. I don't get this close to anyone unless I'm beating the shit out of him." Sano paused for a moment, his expression turning into a scowl. "Now, it seems that you doubt my intentions. I'll admit to you that I don't give a shit about any of those other Yakuza. I don't belong to a gang because I don't need anyone. I'm my own gang, and I fight like it, so if you have a problem with me then do something about it."  Sano thrust Irushi back so that he stumbled over his own feet struggling not to fall over. He figured that his little gesture would make Irushi snap, so he fingered the hilt of his sword and readied himself for a fight. But Irushi stayed where he was, eyeing him calmly. The fight inside him was gone, or perhaps it was only temporarily hindered. He regarded Sano with uncertainty as he made his way back to the throne to stand beside a stunned Austin. The old man was absolutely incensed.

          "You dare young man to show such disrespect! I've had soldiers killed for less than what you just pulled!" The old man's face was red with anger, and the veins on his neck swelled unnaturally. Irushi placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.  "It's alright, Mr. Austin. I have reason to give this warrior another chance. I like someone who has balls enough to confront me face to face."  He turned to Sano with a smile on his face, yet his eyes were still the same dark evil. "You showed no fear, Sanosuke. I need someone like you. But as I revealed before, I have no problem unsheathing this sword once again if need be. Don't make me condemn you to the same fate that was bestowed upon your poor bandana. Am I to trust that you understand all of this?" 

          Sano sighed inwardly, and kept his hard gaze locked with Irushi's. "I understand that I'm here to do what I can on my own terms. I haven't changed my mind. I'll help you bring the fall of the Meiji government, but I don't want to threaten the peace that the common people have found for themselves. You may have no compassion for them, but they are my people and I'll be damned if some strange country comes in to impose its way of life on them. The Meiji needs to die, but not at the expense of the people."

          Irushi gazed at him through slits. "What are you saying, then?"

          Sano matched the stare. "I'm saying that I have no problem hurting the Meiji government. But if you hurt the people then you'll have a problem with me."

          Austin looked as if he were going to explode. "You damned fool! How dare you think that we will accept any of this-!!"

          Irushi smoothly cut in, "- I'm fine with it. We've wasted enough time, Mr. Austin, and we're late for our meeting with the other department leaders." Irushi turned to Sanosuke again. "Sagara, I want you to wait for me in my study. I shouldn't take very long, and once I am done I will come to tell you what your assignment will be." 

          Sano felt that glare bear into his soul.  If he looked at Irushi any longer he feared that the gaze would rip right through him and devour him whole. His eyes moved away and he looked to Austin who sat on his throne still seething with anger. Sano wondered what it was about Irushi that made this old man so devoted to him. The more information he gathered, the more he thought that Austin had less and less to do with the whole operation. He had some interesting things to tell his officers; now the only thing left to do was to find one of them. Sano turned and made his way down the stairs. As he descended the steps he felt that odd thing once again- the darkness within that threatened to reveal him. He silently wished that he could shake it off. 

He made a plan to try and leave the house for a while. As Austin and Irushi had their conference he would find one of the many undercover officers who patrolled Tokyo and tell him everything. But then he wondered if he even had to go that far. If he wasn't mistaken, he could swear that there was another officer among them posing as a gangster. He inwardly cursed Saitoh's lack of faith in him- _Goddamn that Wolf!_  At the door he stopped and looked up the stairs. Both father and surrogate son were gone. _Not too much time to get this done, _he thoughtas he opened the creaky door and left to get his work done.

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          The tunnels were simpler to go through now, so Sano was pleased with that. Once he traveled through something, no matter how tricky the turns were, he had it permanently recorded in his head. Another useful skill he had learned from the Wolf. The more he stayed in here the more he came to appreciate Saitoh's hard-ass training. But soon enough he passed the floor of Irushi's private room and for just a split second he considered waiting in there. A presence behind him made him change his mind.

          "Inspector Fujita awaits outside with the Battousai. Go now before they lose their patience and ambush this place." When Sano turned around to confront the presence, he saw no one there. At the far end of the hall he did see the guard he had noticed when he had arrived earlier, standing alone.  The guard seemed not to notice him, but at close inspection he was in fact watching Sano. 

          Sanosuke figured that this was the other undercover cop. _Keeping an eye on me, huh? I knew that damned Wolf had no faith in me!  _He saluted the guard who continued to ignore him, and made his way outside. He had found an exit among the shrubbery and resisted the urge to kiss the dirt as he ambled out of the compound and into the cool night air. He immediately felt the presence of many, the police force who hid themselves well inside the forest, and soon enough he was able to spot the one whom he did not want to meet at that moment. He saw the cigarette smoke swirling above his head. _Shit, I'm fucked._  Sano actually considered going back inside and trying his luck with Irushi. But then he saw a friendly face, Kenshin's face, among the shadows of the forest and he began to feel more at ease. No matter how much training and fights he had, he always felt better in situations when Kenshin was involved. He remembered telling Kenshin that he could sit this one out, but from what he had just learned, his friend's involvement was inevitable. 

          Kenshin stepped forward to greet Sano with a wide smile. He looked so relieved to see him in one piece that Sano felt bad. _He really was worried, _he thought regretting the secrets that he had kept from his best friend. He really wished that he had disregarded the rules of the Secret Police and taken Kenshin into his confidence. He definitely would have understood the situation. 

          Kenshin looked up at his friend, his eyes taking in Sano's appearance with one sweep.  "I'm glad that you are safe, Sano. Megumi-dono was so worried as were the rest of us. That man did not hurt you did he?"  

          Sano noticed the concerned look on Kenshin's face. He wondered why Kenshin asked that question. Then the wind blew his bangs into his face and he remembered. He pulled the remains of his bandana out of his jacket and held it out to Kenshin. The Rurouni took the tattered fabric from his fingers and examined it. He didn't look pleased.  "Sano, this was split at your forehead! That man could have killed you!" 

          That statement awarded a snort from the Wolf.  "Dumbass. I knew that this would be too much for you to handle. I'm surprised that you didn't come out with worse, or that you came out at all. I expected you to be dead." Then Saitoh fixed Sano with an icy glare as he blew smoke into his face. "Perhaps you should regret that he couldn't grant you that favor, Rooster." The anger at their earlier battle had returned with a vengeance and Saitoh found it difficult to keep it under control. Yet, he didn't want to admit that he was glad that Sano had made it out of the Compound. The sting in his back reminded him to be angry with this insolent jackass so that he could keep his foul mood. He couldn't let his concern for Sano's safety color his motives for this operation. He looked his officer up and down and determined that he had suffered no injuries- but perhaps he had some information to share.

          "Wolf, I've got no time to trade insults with you. I found out some vital information about what they're going to do. They told me the whole thing and it sounds really bad." He relayed the entire incident to Kenshin and Saitoh who listened with growing apprehension. It was bad indeed. 

          Kenshin was the first to speak.  "It is not much different than what Shishio was trying to do. This guy sounds dangerous, even more so since he has foreign influences who may be much more powerful than our government. What do you think, Saitoh?"

          "I think that the Japanese Westerner may be more of a problem than we think, but we can still stop him. He has Yakuza on his side who will easily be defeated by my officers. Kyuuto Irushi will have his hands full if he has no soldiers to help him in his battle."

          Kenshin whirled on Saitoh, eyes blazing with intent. "No one is to be killed. I made that clear to your officers and they agreed to it. I will go in and talk to Kyuuto Irushi myself, and your soldiers are here to hinder any attacks. They are not here to cause unnecessary deaths and I won't tolerate any! Leave it to me. I will go in and deal with the leader."

          Saitoh shook his head slightly and flicked cigarette ash onto the ground.  "I don't know why I put up with having you as an ally. You always make my assignments much more difficult that they need to be. It would be much easier to exterminate the scum that lives within those walls. Why must we spare them the wrath of the people? They want to wage a war on us. I see no reason to hold back." He cocked his head toward Sano. "My officer is out, and I see the other trailing out as well." 

          Sano followed Saitoh's gaze and saw the officer who had posed as a guard, amble out from the shrubbery. He moved through the leaves rather slowly, and soon they all realized that the officer was injured. When he reached them he collapsed against Sano, grasped onto his lapel, and moved in close to whisper weakly into his ear, "They have your woman…I couldn't… do much to save her. They found me out and sliced me up…I know that she's important to you, so I…held on as much as I could so I could tell you…Go…and save her…sorry I couldn't do more…" His voice trailed off, and his body slumped down against Sano who caught him and laid him gently on the ground. 

Sano's jacket was soaked with the fallen officer's blood, and he took it off to drape it over his face.  His fists clenched tightly, as he slowly rose to his feet. Irushi had to pay. This officer didn't deserve any of this. He had a family who was depending on him to return home just like so many of the other policemen who were here tonight. He looked around and surveyed the scene. There were so many of them here, taken from their homes to prepare themselves for another battle. Austin and Irushi had no regard, and certainly could not care less for the lives of these officers. _But I care!_ _I care about all of them, and I don't want to see any of them taken out like this one was. They don't deserve it, and neither do those gangsters that are inside. None of them deserve this except..._ Just thinking the name made his blood boil. _Irushi_. He had to make his pay. He had to get Megumi out of there most of all; but in order to do that he had to face that son of a bitch.

          Sano looked to Kenshin and Saitoh who were both gazing down at the dead officer. Neither of them had heard what the dead man had said.   "Oi! They have Megumi inside. I think that she may have wandered away without your notice. I have to go in to meet with Irushi about the assignment he's going to give me. I have this under control but there are some things I want to know before we make our move. Plus they've got Megumi, so I don't want to jeopardize her safety. This meeting that I'm going to have with him is going to decide how the rest of this is going to go. You guys can't do anything until you know that she's safe, so see if you can get another officer to sneak around and keep tabs for you." Sano paused when he saw a grin form on the Wolf's face. That told him that he already had another spy working on the operation. Sano was relieved that Saitoh was so far ahead of him, yet a small part of him still believed that the Wolf doubted his abilities as an undercover agent; so the gesture also annoyed the hell out of him. He turned to Kenshin now, who had not taken his eyes off of the dead officer. Sano could tell that this man's death angered him greatly, and he knew that he would listen to any plan that would spare as many lives as possible. "Kenshin, I'm going to need you to do me a favor. Don't make a move until you get word from the spy that Megumi is out of the way. I want to get her away from Irushi before anything happens. And with that in mind I have something else to tell you." He fixed Kenshin with a steady gaze. "If that bastard Irushi does anything to Megumi, you won't be able to stop me from killing him- so don't get in my way."

          Kenshin studied Sano for a moment and thought that he saw a slight amber glow form around his eyes. He wanted to convince him of some other way to deal with Irushi, but then he remembered how his own eyes had glowed when Kaoru's life had been threatened. His vow to never kill again; the Black Hat, Jin'e had caused him to forget this vow. Saitoh the Wolf had caused him to forget it as well. He could see why Sano would forget his own good nature and go after Irushi's blood. He didn't want to see his friend shed any blood, but he knew if he were in Sano's situation, he would most definitely forget his vow for good. He felt Sano staring daggers into him awaiting his response. He stared blankly back at him, and finally nodded in agreement. Sano' expression softened a bit, as his eyes conveyed how grateful he was. He knew that he could count on Kenshin. He nodded in return confident that his friend would be the one to keep this plan moving, and silently left them both to rush back into the compound.  

          Kenshin and Saitou hid among the trees once again as they watched Sanosuke make his way back inside of the compound. When he was out of sight Saitou lit another cigarette.  "So, you gave the Rooster permission to kill him. Isn't that a bit hypocritical, Battousai?"

          Kenshin glanced up at the Wolf with cold, piercing eyes. His voice was dead of all emotion. "I don't need to give Sano permission to do anything. He is his own man who lives by his own rules. I merely let him know that I understand his situation completely. I know how it feels when the one you love is in danger. From what I remember, you made me feel that way once."  

          Saitou grinned evilly and took a satisfying drag from his cigarette. The voice of the Battousai always pleased him. _If I irk him just a little more, maybe I can get the Hitokiri out of him again. He's halfway there already!  _But it seemed as if Kenshin was wise to his attempts. His cold expression was gone and he was back to his friendly old self. He smiled up at Saitou and said cheerfully, "Let's not to wait too long before we go inside. I know I told Sano that we'd wait for some information, but if things get ugly he's going to need our help. The guards know to watch for our signal if they are needed and to make sure that no Yakuza try to escape." And with that, Kenshin made his way to a tall mound of foliage suitable to hide in, leaving Saitoh bewildered once again. He put his cigarette out thinking that Kenshin must have multiple personalities, and made a gesture for his guards to be prepared. Then he followed the Battousai.


	13. Chapter 13

All for Love

**Disclaimer**: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment.

Chapter Thirteen

          When night finally arrived the Kamiya Dojo settled down into its normal routine. Practice was over, dinner was eaten, and Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan were sleeping soundly in the spare bedroom. Normally the little girls would be asleep at home along with their grandfather, but this was a night when the old man could not fall asleep. He never liked to impose on Kaoru's hospitality, but on this night he forgot all about that for he did not want to be alone with his thoughts. He sat in the dark on Kaoru's porch and mentally beat himself over Megumi. 

            My daughter. She is like another daughter to me, one who is so lovely and so sweet. Her kind words, her good cheer, and her empathy towards her patients make her the best doctor in Tokyo- and they make her one of the best friends I have ever had in a long time. How can anyone say that she has done anything to deserve what she is going through? 

          His thoughts were disturbed too soon as the door behind him slid open and Kaoru stepped outside to sit beside him. Her face was covered in shadows and this hid the fact that she was worried about her friends. But none of that seemed to matter to Yahiko who followed outside right after her, and marched over so that he stood right before her. Dr. Genzai noticed the scowl on the boy's face, and he knew that this usually meant an argument was going to start.

          "How can you be so goddamned calm about this, Kaoru! Kenshin is out on another mission fighting another deadly opponent, and in danger of not coming home in one piece! How can you let him go without telling him! He might not come home at all!"

          Kaoru's head snapped up and in a flash she had an iron grip on the collar of Yahiko's gi, yanking him forward so that he stumbled and hung with his feet dangling inches above the ground. The shadows lifted momentarily and were replaced by a dark cloud of rage. Her voice was so dead calm that it made Yahiko freeze

          "You had better watch what you say. You don' t know anything, so just keep your mouth _shut_!" She shoved him away from her, sending him flying to the other side of the yard so that he crashed into the dojo's gate. The tone in her voice caught Dr. Genzai's attention.

          "Kaoru-chan, is there something wrong?"

          Kaoru jumped at the mention of her name and looked at the old man as if she was surprised to see him there. "G-g-g-genzai-sensei! How long have you been sitting out here?"

          Her stuttering made the doctor suspicious. "What a silly question, Kaoru-chan. For about ten minutes longer than you have, I'm afraid. Don't you remember me mentioning that I wanted some fresh air?"

          Kaoru fidgeted uncomfortably, and shot Yahiko a deadly glare. Yahiko had already recovered and he was back to nagging her again. 

          "Oi, Busu! It doesn't matter what you do to me because I won't shut up! I think that you should let Dr. Genzai look you over so that he can tell you what you already know."

          Kaoru was on the verge of exploding. "Shut-up, Yahiko," she warned clenching her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. Yahiko grimly shook his head. 

          "No. What you did is wrong. You should have told Kenshin before he left."

          "Yahiko, mind your own damned business!" Kaoru screamed, and jumped to her feet so that she could beat him into oblivion, but as soon as she was standing everything went spinning out of control. She collapsed onto her knees, throwing her arms in front of her so that her face wouldn't hit the ground. Dr. Genzai was by her immediately.

          "Kaoru-chan! Something is wrong. Tell me what is going on right now," he demanded. He fixed her with his stern gaze and in the darkness he could see how deathly pale she was. 

          Yahiko kneeled beside the doctor took one of Kaoru's arms and helped her to her feet. "She's not feeling like herself, Dr. Genzai. She's sick right now, and she's been sick every morning for the past week. She nearly fainted when she put the girls to bed, and just before she came outside she was sick in the bathroom."

          The boy suddenly felt a firm grip on his collar again. He looked up and saw Kaoru's possessed eyes fixed on him. She even growled in anger.  "Yahiko, how can you spy on me in the bathroom? That's so disgusting!"

          Despite her weakened state Yahiko found it difficult to wrench her fingers from him. "I know it's disgusting. You make vomiting sound worse than it already is. Lemme go, ugly! I don't want to be next to you when you puke again!"

          "Yahiko!" Kaoru fumed, itching to slug him. Dr. Genzai grabbed hold of her fist before she could raise it to attack. 

          "Kaoru, I think Yahiko-kun is right. It is a good idea to look you over. Maybe there is some kind of virus going around and if there is then it will be good to take care of it now. Please, come this way," Dr. Genzai instructed as he held out his hand to lead the way into the house. Kaoru hesitated for a moment. Yahiko watched her carefully. 

          "Kaoru…" Yahiko began peering at the drawn expression on her face. "What are you afraid to find out?"

          Kaoru said nothing. Instead, she turned away from her student and followed slowly after Dr. Genzai, knowing well what it was the old man would tell her. 

          _She has been keeping this secret for a while. Kaoru-chan, why have you chosen to wait so long to make this known?_

Dr. Genzai's hands shook as he folded the futon. In this examination alone he found out more about Kaoru than he knew in all the years that they were friends. He stopped momentarily to look over at her. Kaoru kneeled by the open door looking up at the stars that had finally become visible in the evening air. In a minute her student was going to storm in and demand what was going on. He was going to demand she tell him what was wrong, and in a funny way Kaoru figured that the boy already knew. Dr. Genzai shook his head and sighed. _How is she going to explain this to everyone?_

Footsteps could be heard rushing over the pathways, and they padded down the hall until they finally stopped at the shoji door. When he finally came into the room he looked over at his instructor, conviction burning in his eyes. But she didn't acknowledge him. She just paid attention to the stars and her sublime expression said it all to him. Still, he wanted more answers so he turned his attention to the doctor. "When is she due?"

          Dr. Genzai was surprised by how much of this Yahiko had figured out. Young people knew too much, as far as he was concerned. "The baby will arrive in late November. I don't anticipate any reason for me to be out of town then, but I will make sure that I stay here to perform the delivery." Suddenly the old man's face lit up. His eyes sparkled with moisture and a tear escaped to roll down his cheek. He knelt beside her and took her hand into his. He beamed at her, the pride within pouring forth and warming her heart. She smiled faintly at him, for she was still in disbelief. The old man patted her hand reassuringly.

"I will make sure that everything is perfect for you, Kaoru-chan. I want you to come see me every week so we can check up on the little one and make sure that it's healthy. You know, you will have to relax now and stop fighting with Yahiko-kun," he said pointedly, squeezing her hand. 

No response. She turned away to stare at the stars again. Dr. Genzai and Yahiko exchanged worried looks. 

"Ano…Kaoru? You're happy…right?" Yahiko asked.

That question brought her out of her daze. Her eyes shifted away from the sky and she gazed up at her student. Then her head moved slightly back and forth. This put Yahiko's nerves on edge.

Why is she being so silent? Is she really happy about all of this? She sure doesn't look like a woman who's just learned that she's gonna have a baby. Kuso! She's in shock and it's all my fault! I shouldn't have pushed her like I did. She may never recover, then she can't give birth!  Busu, will be pregnant and cranky for the rest of her life and she'll take it all out on me!

Yahiko shook his head to get rid of those silly thoughts. Of course Kaoru was happy. She is having Kenshin's baby. That should be enough to make her happy forever. But for some reason Yahiko wasn't quite convinced that Kaoru was completely content. 

"Kaoru-chan, this is a wonderful thing for you and Kenshin. What bothers you so much about it?" Dr. Genzai asked, unconvinced as well. 

Kaoru lowered her head so that her bangs hid her face. Her answer came to them in a hoarse whisper. "We're not married."

Yahiko and Dr. Genzai exchanged another look. Yahiko understood what she was feeling but what he could not fathom was why she of all people would care about such a thing. "Big deal. That doesn't mean that you _won't_ be married. Once Kenshin finds out about the baby there'll defiantly be a wedding."

Kaoru shook her head. "That's what I mean. I don't want Kenshin to think that he has to do anything about this. It will seem as if I'm trapping him to keep him from going on his way again. I don't want him to think that he's obligated to anything, least of all, to me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yahiko flared, "Kenshin won't ever leave you! He stopped being a rurouni a long time ago and you know that. If not, would you have let yourself get this close to him?" 

Kaoru looked to Dr. Genzai for some understanding. Tears were welled up inside of her eyes as she pleaded with the old doctor. "We're not _married_. I let a notorious man live in my house, and now I'm pregnant by him. I wasn't raised to do things that way." 

The old man was so touched by her nervousness that he couldn't help but chuckle. "Kaoru-chan, are you thinking that everything happened the wrong way? You have loved Kenshin since he first arrived, and in a short time he came to feel the same way about you. You have both grown very close to each other, so an event like this is only natural. There is nothing improper about it. In fact, let me remind you that you are the only young woman that I know of, who leads a Kendo school. You are the master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. That already sets you apart from the rest of society because you choose to lead your own life. Loving Kenshin is another choice you have made and this baby growing inside of you is an extension of that. You and Kenshin have done a wonderful thing, and I for one can't wait to meet the little one!" Dr. Genzai clapped his hands together in delight, for he was so pleased to see Kaoru finally smile. Her face was glowing. Then she surprised the old man by throwing her arms around him.

"Thank you, Dr. Genzai. Thank you so much. I was afraid that you would be disappointed in me."

The old man chuckled again. "That's silly. There is nothing that you can do to disappoint me. Is that why you took so long to tell me about this?"

"Is that why you didn't tell Kenshin anything?"

Kaoru pulled away from the doctor and stood up. The tone in Yahiko's voice was so somber that it made his question sound like an accusation. None of this would have been known if he had not been so pushy and nosy, so he deserved the explanation more than anyone.

"I didn't tell Kenshin because I wasn't sure if I was pregnant. I just had my suspicions about it. When I started feeling sick that was when Megumi-san's problems began, so I forgot about what was happening with me. I didn't tell Kenshin because I didn't want him to worry. The important thing now is to get Sanosuke back, and that is what I want Kenshin to concentrate on."

Yahiko looked up at Kaoru and wondered why he bothered to press her about this to begin with. She just did what was in her nature at that was to worry about everyone else. He shook his head in wonder. 

She'll never change. She always puts others before herself no matter how important her own problem is. Ugly, has such a big heart…she's going to make a great mother. Hmmm. Now that she's pregnant this changes things for a while.

"You know Kaoru, I'm happy for you and Kenshin. But now that you're in such a delicate condition this puts you out of commission for a while. I'm going to have to take over the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, since I'm already the master, so your students will have a cool new instructor!" Yahiko had stars in is eyes as he thought about it. "Yahiko-Sensei. I love the way that sounds."

Kaoru raised a twitching eyebrow. "Master? You're still my student. You're nowhere near to being a master. You're not even at the advanced level yet. But since you are my first real student, you'll have to do." Before Yahiko realized anything, Kaoru had him in a powerful headlock. "Just don't disgrace my school!"

Dr. Genzai's eyes went wide. "Kaoru-chan, remember what I said! No more fighting!"

Kaoru caught herself and shoved Yahiko away. She grinned sheepishly at the doctor. "Sorry. It's going to take some time for me to get used to this." Then her face darkened a little bit, as she said solemnly, "I'm still worried about them. They took on such a dangerous mission. Kenshin. Sanosuke. Megumi. Please come back safely."

*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *

"Watch it, Battousai," Saitoh warned. 

Kenshin had his hand on the hilt of his Sakaba as he huddled down against the cool stonewall by the stairwell. It was unlike him to be jumpy in a tense situation like this, but for some reason the fact that Austin had Megumi hostage made Kenshin angry. He was angry with himself for she had been his responsibility and in effect he felt that he had let Sanosuke down. 

He trusted me with her, and I just let her wander off. Why didn't I watch her more closely? Why did I let her come with us to begin with? 

Kenshin felt something sharp poke him in the ribs, and realized that Saitoh had nudged him with his boot. He glanced up at the Wolf to see a set of fiery yellow eyes scowl down at him. "Let it go Battousai. Your anger has ignited your ki, and if you don't keep it under control these warriors are going to detect it. She was warned about the dangers, she insisted on coming anyway and then she wandered off. She was captured because of her own foolishness so don't beat yourself up over it. She has succeeded in making this assignment much more difficult, and I don't know if I can trust the Rooster to follow through. His main concern is the Fox. It has been his only concern all along."

 Kenshin responded with a question, which he already knew the answer to, "So _your_ concern is…?" 

A wicked grin spread across Saitoh's lips. "To extinguish the enemy of course."

Kenshin turned away, partly irritated with his partner but at the same time anxious for them to get to work. They were surprised to have found an opening on the side of the mountain, and even more shocked at the operation that was running throughout. _It must have taken them years to build this. It must have been in construction since before the Bakumatsu. How could they have gotten away with building this immense structure without the Japanese government knowing about it?_ Kenshin thought as he pressed himself closer into the wall so as not to be noticed by the warriors that constantly passed by. 

          Saitoh thought that they had prematurely entered this compound, and he wondered if Kenshin would be prepared for any surprise attacks. He knew how this whole structure worked. He had already gotten word from his spy that there were more secret passageways, one in particular that led right into the heart of the mansion. Saitoh knew that if they followed that passage they would walk right into the presence of the old man, Austin. That prospect made Saitoh chuckle softly. That chuckle made Kenshin turn his head again and give Saitoh a look.

          "I may not be an expert on the tactics of the secret police, but I think that laughing is something that can give you away," Kenshin pointed out with a whisper. 

          Saitoh's amber eyes narrowed into a glare. "So can talking, Battousai so shut the hell up!" He shot back harshly, and pulled Kenshin to his feet. They were able to look up the stairwell and it was unsettling to see that at every floor were groups of soldiers ready to attack once they detected that a wolf and a rurouni were creeping around. Saitoh wasn't sure what they were going to do, and for just a brief moment he thought that Kenshin was unsure of what their next step would be as well.

          "What now, Battousai?" The dampness of the caves caused an ache to trail along the length of Saitoh's wound. He sucked in his breath knowing that if they were to be attacked at that moment, the first thing that the guards would go for was the slash on his back. But that would only happen if he sank into the pain and allowed them to see that he was injured, so he conjured up a little of own ki and willed himself to ignore the stinging pain. 

          Kenshin studied the opening above them, taking in the location of all of the rooms and following the movements of the soldiers. He sensed that Saitoh was uncomfortable. "They look as if they are getting ready for something. I see them heading in the same direction towards a group of tunnels that I believe lead into the mansion."

          Saitoh let out a deep breath and nodded. "They do. But there is one tunnel that is so secret that even these men don't know it exists. It is located inside of a room that is at the far end of the East Wing of the first floor. If you look closely Battousai that particular door has no guard posted."

          Kenshin shifted slightly and suddenly a door hidden among shadows came into view. "That's very odd. Maybe the room is not that important."

          "No, it happens to be the most important room in this cavern. That is the private study of Kyuuto Irushi-and it contains the tunnel which leads directly into Henry Austin's chambers."

          A group of men approached to ascend the stairs causing Kenshin and Saitoh to retreat into a darker corner. When the men were finally out of sight Saitoh moved to look at the door again. An idea suddenly came to him when he spotted a familiar, lone figure making his way toward the door. _Nani, why is he going in there?_, he wondered as Kenshin spotted the figure as well. 

"Sano?" he whispered softly and met Saitoh's inquiring gaze with his own. They watched as Sanosuke treaded purposefully toward the door and disappeared into its darkness. Then a realization suddenly came to the rurouni. "His meeting with Irushi," he said, remembering the plan that Sano had relayed to them. "It must be time for him to find out how that man is planning to use him. I hope he is okay. With Megumi-dono in danger now it will be hard for him to concentrate on what he has to do."

Saitoh let out a contemptuous snort. "According to him, what he has to do is save his fox from danger. The rest of this assignment falls on you and I, Battousai and I have just thought of way to get us into that room."

As he finished his statement another familiar figure came into view. It was a young man who Kenshin did not know, and unbeknownst to the rurouni, Saitoh took the risk of making himself visible to catch the attention of this individual. The young man was making his tunnel rounds as he was assigned to do by the Superiors of the Austin compound, but he did not make these rounds for them-he made them for his boss, Inspector Fujita Goro. When he saw the Wolf, he looked toward the unguarded door and then again at his boss for confirmation. Saitoh nodded.

"That room will get us to Austin, and once he is defeated this whole thing is over because these men won't do anything if Austin can't provide for them. That room is our goal to finishing this, Battousai. Prepare yourself. We have a way in."

*                    *                  *                  *                  *        

          Her head exploded with pain as she opened her eyes. She shut them quickly which she soon regretted for that just caused pressure to build up in her head which brought more pain. She opened her eyes again, slowly this time, and took a moment to look at her surroundings. She was on a futon spread out in a room that looked more like a study than a bedroom. There was a desk with two chairs and off to the side stood a cabinet filled with weapons. She scanned the fine swords and pistols wondering whom they belonged to. She finally decided that the collector was indeed a killer so she was in no hurry to meet him. 

Megumi wanted to test her strength so she sat up, but she soon regretted that as well. Her hand trailed around to the back of her head where she immediately found the lump. She winced as she tapped at it to determine its size and severity. From what she felt it was nothing serious, but it was enough to keep her from sneaking out. Trying to flee was an unwise choice for now. 

          Megumi sat on the edge of the futon and decided to wait it out. As she sat her thoughts roamed to the past forty-eight hours. So much had been revealed to the point where she knew that nothing would be the same again. Her relationship with Sanosuke had evolved with such intensity in just a few short hours. One minute she found his presence annoying. Now she found that she wanted to share her life with him more than anything.

          _What have you done to me, Sano no Baka? I don't know if I can live without you. _Megumi sighed. Then she heard the sound of footsteps approaching and her heart froze. Did the owner of these weapons decide that he wanted to kill her? Megumi went stiff at the thought of that, and wondered if Sano knew that she was captured. 

_I came here to take him back home and now I won't be able to see him before I die. Sanosuke, I'm so sorry!,_ she thought as her eyes filled with tears of lament. She heard someone enter the room and she felt her time was up. _This is it. Goodbye, Sanosuke. My one true love…_  

When she turned to face the door her heart stopped and she gasped. The person who entered the room stopped short and stared at her dumbfounded. She didn't give him time to recover. Megumi forgot the pain in her head and leaped to her feet to pounce on a very shocked Sagara Sanosuke. She held him so tightly she didn't care if it hurt. 

_It's you! Baka yarou, it's realIy you! I get to see you again, Sanosuke._

When he felt her arms slipped around his neck that finally broke the spell. The scent of her hair and her soft skin made him forget himself for a moment. He hugged her tightly to him and clutched her desperately, not wanting to let her go this time. He had been stupid to leave her before. If anything had happened to her, he certainly would never forgive himself. He had to bite his own tongue to keep himself from crying, for he suddenly realized that he had no time to let his emotions go out of control. Something odd in the area that made him pull away abruptly, and he held her away from him at arms length. The look she had in her eyes told him that she was confused. She didn't feel the uneasiness that he felt at that moment, but Saitou's training had given him the ability to feel someone's gaze upon him, and at that moment he felt the burning eyes of the worst demon he had ever met. 

          Irushi watched with interest as he saw his new soldier, Sagara Sanosuke embrace the lady doctor. When he noted how tightly they held each other, he finally realized what was going on. He moved away slightly for he wanted to spy on them some more without being noticed. His mind began to turn with one idea after another causing a wicked smirk to form on his lips. 

_I see, Sagara. You had other intentions all along. You're very good. You almost had me fooled. But, now that I know what you're really up to, my plans for you have changed..._

"What's wrong Sanosuke? Is someone out there?" Megumi asked, her voice a quavering whisper. Sanosuke wanted to reassure her and say that there was not. But he didn't want to lie to her. He felt the presence of that man Irushi, felt the aura of hate and evil that crept into the room to surround them. He wanted to shake it off so that Megumi would not notice how worried he was. He knew that she was used to him being cool, and in control during situations like this. He didn't want her to know that he wasn't cool in this situation at all. He was terrified. 

          Megumi asked the question again, and Sano covered her mouth gently. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked tensely at her so that she knew it was not safe to talk at that moment. He turned his head slightly and he saw the doorway through his side vision. No kind of shadow lurked in the hallway. He relaxed a little. Irushi had gone. But Sano worried that he had seen them together. He finally let his guard down, and pulled her into his arms.

          Megumi stood tensely against Sano's body feeling his skin grow warmer as his breathing became shallow. She knew he was nervous about something. Did someone see them when they embraced? Perhaps it was that wretched foreigner; or perhaps it was someone much more dangerous. She looked up at Sano's face to see what she could get from his expression. Nothing. She sighed. He learned how to hide his feelings so well. Saitou had trained him so well in those aspects. An enemy would definitely have a tough time reading his moves; but this coldness only made her more anxious. When she finally felt his fingers lightly caress her cheek, her fear immediately drifted away. 

          "How did you end up in here?" he asked, his hand moving to cup the back of her head. She rested her head within his grasp, feeling a security she always felt when she was with him. She wished that they could leave right now, and forget that this entire dilemma had come to pass. But, of course she had to think about reality, and why they were in this situation to begin with. She was involved because she was tied to something that her father could not help; he was involved because loved her. Megumi couldn't get that realization out of her mind. Sanosuke joined the police force so that he could protect her, and for that she would never forgive herself. It was a path he himself chose, but she still could not help feeling responsible. 

_He has been doing this for me all this time, and I did nothing but treat him badly. I argued with him, insulted him, and made him think that I loved someone else instead. But none of that stopped him from watching over me. Kami-sama, I'm so stupid. He is the only one I ever wanted. Why did I ever lie to myself about that?_

Megumi inclined her head within his hand, and gazed up into his face. He had such a handsome face, with deep eyes that were able to see right into her, burrowing down further so that he peered right into her soul. As she looked into those eyes, she decided to wish for more time. She wanted time to see what lay beyond the rough exterior of this complicated man, and what lay within the realm of his mind. She wanted to know his whole being better than he even knew himself. 

          She felt his fingers lightly rub the back of her neck and a sigh escaped her lips. "I think I was captured. I left Ken-san to do some exploring, and then I felt some hit me. Someone must have knocked me out. The pain was horrendous when I awoke. But, you're making me feel much better, Sanosuke. Your rough hands, know how to treat me with tenderness. The pain is almost gone." Her voice was barely a whisper as Sano's neck massage caused her to grow drowsy.  

          Sano continued with his soft caress until he felt Megumi's body slump against him. Then he scooped her up gently and laid her down on the futon. He spread her hair out behind her, and pushed the stray strands away from her face as he gazed down at her. She was so heavenly to look at. This was a vision he felt he had to record in his memory, for watching Megumi sleep was the biggest privilege he could ever have bestowed upon him. He would cherish this sleeping beauty, always.

          It took a lot to tear himself away from her presence, but he had to find out what was going on. If Irushi had seen them he had to think of a way to explain it. His gi was gone, and he had to explain that as well. He decided it was wise to stop worrying and take some time to collect his thoughts. Irushi had plans for him, but Sano had to concentrate on finding something that made him vulnerable. The gunslinger was too well trained to let his guard down, but his trust may let Sano in on some information that could ultimately take him down. He had to think of something and fast. He looked over at Megumi's sleeping form. Her life depended on how fast this plan came to him. Kenshin and Saitou were probably inside. They would have a tough time getting past the guards, but he knew that they could get through nonetheless. He hoped that they had something in mind. He was desperate to save Megumi, but all he could at that moment was wait for Irushi- and possibly wait for the end.

Sano sighed and felt that the situation called for help from someone other than Kenshin and Saitoh. So, he closed his eyes, and spoke softly. "Kami-sama. I know that my tab with you is pretty big. But I have one more thing to ask of you. Please, let my Megumi get out of this safely. I want her to be alive. I want her to be happy. And in the end, I want her to be mine." 

          "Your Megumi will be none of those if you don't do as I say."

          Sano's eyes snapped open and shifted toward the door. Irushi stood there calmly watching him. He looked as impassive as ever. Sano couldn't sense if he was angry or delighted, but then a slight smile turned the corners of his mouth to form a sick curl. Irushi shook his head sadly. 

          "Sanosuke. Don't look so surprised. I think that I've had enough shock for both of us. I don't believe that I allowed myself to be so stupid. That makes me so angry. But, I'm not angry with you. You merely did what you could to save the one you love, and I have to give you credit for that, because you have picked a beautiful woman to love. I don't blame you for going to such extremes for her." Irushi stopped and moved into the room, pushing the door shut behind him. Sano, felt himself take a step back. If he had to, he would take this bastard on now. He wasn't going to let him hurt Megumi. Not now, and not ever. His hand went to his Katana. Irushi narrowed his gaze at this.

          "But, I must admit that your deception has me quite puzzled. Why go through all the trouble to have me reveal all that I was going to do? Although, you did nothing to encourage me, I admit that I gave out that information freely. But, if you wanted to save her, why not just come in with your friend the Battousai and rescue her? You've done enough of that in the past. Why has it changed now?"

            Sano felt his heart beat so rapidly it hurt. Does this bastard already know? He already discovered one officer. Suppose he already linked us together? If he has then this just makes the situation worse. Gangsters hate it when cops sneak around their hideouts. They kill those cops so unmercifully it makes you hope that the policemen die quickly. 

Sano then remembered the fallen officer. That policeman had indeed suffered, for he had held on long enough to let Sano know that Megumi was in danger. For that, Sano would be forever grateful-and for that he knew that he had to avenge the officer's death. The memory of him covered in blood pushed out whatever fear Sano had within. His rage came out again, and his hand tightly gripped the hilt of his sword. 

          "Nothing has changed. I'm here to rescue Megumi, and my friend is with me as well. We're going to defeat you and I'm going to take Megumi home where she belongs. I see nothing different with that."

          Irushi's smile faded, and his sinister nature burst forward. "That's because you have been blinded. Your only purpose behind all of this is that whore lying right there. Her father has been the cause of all that has happened to Mr. Austin, and she followed in his footsteps to inevitably bring harm to others. To see you defend such trash makes me want to slit my own throat. But then if I did that, who would lead my revolt against this era and bring it to its proper place within this world? Who would have the same passion and drive for ending the Meiji era, as I do?" Irushi stopped and stared hard at Sano. "I'll tell you who would. You would."


	14. Chapter 14

All for Love

**Disclaimer:** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates. 

Chapter 14

          _Beyond crazy. This man is completely insane._ That is what Sanosuke thought as he cast a worried look towards Megumi. He was glad that she slept so soundly right now for he hated to see the look in her eyes if she found out that they had been discovered. Sano wanted to turn back the clock. He wanted to rectify his mistake and approach Megumi another way. Had he a thought in his mind he would have stuck to his identity of Zanza and treated her as a prisoner. It would have been unsettling for her, but it would have kept him on the good graces of Kyuuto Irushi for a while longer. Now the man he had tried so hard to entrust had unleashed his dark side, and Sano knew that he was going to be forced to deal with the dangerous enemy sooner than he expected. Sano watched him closely and wondered what he had in mind. He decided it was best to move away from Megumi for a few moments. He wanted her to sleep with no disturbances, and he wanted to use this last chance to see how much Irushi knew about him.

          Irushi's narrow gaze followed Sano and then fixed steadily on him as the latter finally stopped when he stood right before him. Irushi craned his neck to look up at the towering Sanosuke, his dark eyes peering out from underneath his cowboy hat. Sano knew that his height wouldn't intimidate _this_ enemy, but that wasn't the reason he chose to move in so close. He wanted to let Irushi know that he wasn't afraid- and that he had nothing to hide. Someone with secrets would use distance to avoid being discovered. Sano had lots of things to hide from this man, but that was part of his job. He fixed the smaller man with an intense gaze that demanded answers. If Megumi's life was on the line, he wanted to know everything.

          "Let me get this straight. You want _me to personally end the Meiji Era? As tempting as that sounds, I don't think you have much to entice me with." The words of the one formally called Zanza flowed with the brazen tone of one who asked to be shot in the face. The gun in Irushi's holster was unbuckled and hung at a tempting distance next to his right hand. Sano imagined what it would be like to have that gun pointed directly at him._

          Irushi did reach for the gun, and he pulled it out slowly so that the sound of cold metal brushing against leather reminded Sano of a sword cutting across flesh. Sano's first thought was of Megumi.

          "Don't worry about your woman," Irushi said taking note of the Sanosuke's reaction. "She won't get hurt if you play this game right."

          Sano looked at him bemused, but Irushi said nothing else. He opened the bullet chamber revealing empty compartments. Sano nonetheless moved a few steps toward Megumi. She still slept soundly which he was grateful for. He hated to watch this man while he did nothing, but the annoying voice of reason kept nagging him to wait and see where the psycho was heading with this. His hand stayed near his katana and his right fist, which he had been itching to use since he met this man, was prepared to destroy the nearest wall and spray the cell full of dust. He watched Irushi closely, as he fished inside his pockets and pulled out a single bullet, which he inserted into one of the slots. Then he spun the chamber quickly and with a flick of his wrist, snapped it back into place. Sano's heart began to beat rapidly again. He had heard of this game.

"You like to gamble, right Sanosuke?" Irushi asked, pointing the gun at Megumi. Sano was close to her but not close enough. He turned away planning to fling himself toward her but the crack of an empty chamber stopped him dead. Irushi had sensed the intention all over him. 

          "If you try that again, the next one may not be empty," he warned his index finger pressed tightly against the trigger. 

            Kuso! I can't do a goddamned thing or he'll shoot her. Shit, how did my Megumi ever get involved in this? This has more to do with revenge against the government, more than a grudge from the past. Why the hell did they involve her to begin with? 

 Sano had no choice but to stay where he was. He hated that weapon. Who would be so cowardly as to hide behind a gun? It was powerful, but as dishonorable as attacking someone from behind. Irushi eyed Sanosuke all the while pointing the gun steadily at Megumi. 

"I have a proposition for you, Sagara. The life of that woman depends on what you tell me so it would be wise to listen to me very carefully before you make your decision." The barrel looked to be painfully close to Megumi. 

"I told you that I planned to infiltrate the police department and make a string murders point to them. Seeing you with this woman has made me realize where I could use you. You are going to be my crooked policeman."

Sano hated where this was going. Did he already know?

"A gangster who hates the Meiji government, joining the police department? I think your plan needs some revisions," Sano said, knowing he was treading in a dangerous area. Irushi gave him a dark grin. 

"You think so?"

Sano felt a line of sweat form on his forehead. Without the bandana the droplets trickled down the side of his face and fell from the edge of his jaw. He knew now that he was in serious trouble.

"It took me a while to figure it out but I think that I finally know what's going on. You have lied to me this entire time, Sagara-san which I can't blame you for since it is part of your job." Irushi grinned knowingly and raised the pistol so that the barrel pointed to the ceiling. He squeezed the trigger and revealed another empty chamber. He pointed the gun at Megumi once again. "Damn, I wasted an empty chamber. That's too bad, ne? If you keep fucking with me the next one may not be empty." In less than a second his grin turned into a scowl. 

"Earlier today I learned that one of my soldiers was an undercover policeman. This government has a lot of nerve to spy on Mr. Austin. They have no idea that he is doing everything for the sake of the country. What right do the police have to get in his way? What right do they have to sneak in here and pretend to be on his side? None of them understand. They work for a corrupt government. Ishin killers from the past roam free. Others are condemned and made to live in poverty or in disgrace for opposing the growth of the Meiji Era. Do you have any idea how sick I am of hearing how peaceful everything is? How wonderful it is that the common folks can now get on with their lives? I don't give a goddamned about the fucking common folks! I didn't learn to fight for them! They turned their backs on me when they found out my family supported the Tokugawa. We were banished from our village and ambushed by the first pack of common folk bandits. They didn't care about helping us find a peaceful life. They just took what they wanted and left us destroyed. As much as I loved this country when I was a child, I hate it more now. To see these policemen protect such a worthless bunch just pisses me off. The Battousai is outside you say? I'll bet that cop Saitoh Hajime is out there as well. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed killing his undercover agent. He made me believe that he was on our side and that doesn't go well with me at all. He got what he deserved, and in time so will you." 

Irushi paused a moment to let his words sink in. Sanosuke's expression was grim as he stared daggers at Kyuuto Irushi. On the outside he seemed the perfect example of calm contemplation. However on the inside his heart was beating painfully against his ribcage. Sano knew this was the end. He had known that this assignment posed the risk of being discovered but he never thought it would have happened like this. He felt like an idiot. He had disobeyed his boss he had disregarded his orders and he completed the entire operation by getting caught by the enemy. He deserved a death sentence for such stupidity. Not only had he harmed his boss but he had also succeeded in putting the woman he loved in extreme danger. He would never forgive himself for that. If he had to die here by Irushi's hand he would face it deservingly, but what he had to do right now was protect Megumi and the first step to her safety was the gun.

"Let me get this straight, again. You hate the Meiji government and you want to put an end to it, so you start your assault by targeting a defenseless woman." Sano's eyes narrowed into slits. "I'd say you were full of shit." 

That statement granted him the desired effect. Irushi moved the pistol and pointed it at Sanosuke's forehead. Oddly enough this made the ex-gangster smile. "Sorry. Did I hit on something that was true?"

The cold steel was now pressed against Sanosuke's sweaty flesh, sliding unbearably slow until the barrel touched against his left temple. Kyuuto Irushi was done with politeness.  

"Your Meiji government is the one that is full of shit- and so are you." He squeezed the trigger. 

The shock made the thoughts rush out of Sanosuke's head. The blood drained from his face and his heart slowed down to barely a beat against his chest. It took him a few moments to realize that he had not been shot. The click was of another empty chamber and that left him to realize he was running out of chances. 

"Your jacket is gone. It must have been soaked with blood, hmmm? I didn't get to see the outcome of my attack on that policeman, but from what I see on you he must have been in bad shape." Irushi waved his finger in the direction of Sano's gi pants and it finally occurred to him how he found him out. Blood from the officer had dripped onto the waistline of his pants. It was an unnoticeable spot that would have gone undetected had this warrior not been so gifted in the art of bullshit detection. Sanosuke couldn't keep up the deception any longer. He had officially blown his cover.

The gun pressed harder against his skin as Irushi drew in closer getting into Sano's face. "So, what did you tell your boss? Do he and the Battousai know it all? Well, they're going to be quite surprised when they find out the role you're going to play in everything. I really hate cops, Sanosuke and I heard that you weren't too crazy about them either. You had quite a run-in with that policeman, Saitoh Hajime. He hurt your shoulder pretty badly and you've been looking for a chance to get even ever since, right? So you decided to help a fellow gangster out with his plan to discredit the police department." Irushi backed away a bit to give Sano room to breathe. "You've had quite a bit of trouble with cops in the past, ne Sanosuke? Now is your chance to get back at the lot of them especially the goddamned Wolf of Mibu."

Despite the jolt to his senses and a gun to his head, Sano was alert enough to be thoroughly pissed off. He scowled down at his captors face balling his right hand into a dangerous fist. His voice was low and dark.

"You know too much about me. Why did it take you this long to figure it all out? Why did you trust me to begin with?" 

"I never did. Why do you think I asked you all of those questions? It was my way of discrediting you from the start. I liked you but there was something not right with your story. I still like you but I won't hesitate to kill you if the opportunity arises. Here is the deal. I have a plan and you are going to implement it for me. You will be the policeman who discredits the police department. You have lots of nice training to make some very grisly murders. Once you have done that I will see if there is some other way I can use you. If you decide not to cooperate then the woman dies. It's as simple as that. What do you say, Sagara?"

*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *        

"What do you say, Sagara?" 

It was the soft-spoken, unfamiliar voice that brought her out of her slumber, and it took just a few seconds to measure the situation. She didn't dare move but she did crack an eye open to see what was going on. What she saw made her want to jump up and scream. Why was there a gun pointed at Sanosuke, and why was he not doing anything about it? The Sano she knew would have taken that man down by now. Was the smaller man that powerful, that intimidating? 

A small sigh escaped her, and she caught herself before the low sound could resonate the room. Well, she thought she caught herself. The sigh soon turned into a loud gasp as her eyes flew open. The beating of her heart made it hard for her to breathe, and she soon found herself sitting up and fighting for breath. She wished this were all a dream. She didn't want to believe that any of it was real. How could any human possess such an evil pair of eyes?

Megumi had in fact attracted the man's attention, and now his horrible gaze was focused directly at her. The smile that formed on his face made her nauseous. 

"Oh my. She's awake."

Time moved slowly now, for it seemed to take forever for Sanosuke to turn his head slightly and look over his left shoulder. With one small glance he told her to stay calm. _What is he, crazy?_

Irushi's expression darkened and Megumi felt the unmistakable slap of hatred strike her. She wasn't sure where she found the courage to stand her ground, but she continued to gaze back at him, even though what she wanted to do was turn away. The stranger was indeed terrifying but the last thing she wanted to show him was how frightened she was. She kept her gaze fixed on his, and the darkness of his eyes immediately sucked her in. 

Death, destruction, and a desire to cause it came to her all at once. If he had his way he would see to it that everyone fell on their bloody knees before him so he could act as their God and decide who would live and who would die. This man was insane. Whatever hardships he endured in his life, granted him a black heart. For a brief moment Megumi felt sorry for him.

I wonder if he has friends. Does he have people who love and care about him? If he did I'm sure he wouldn't feel so alone-and he wouldn't feel he has to hurt others to heal his own wounds.

Megumi was surprised to gather this much information about the young man by staring into his eyes. They seemed to be open to anyone who dared take a look and catch a glimpse of the kind of soul that lay within- but Megumi decided she didn't want to know anymore about him. So she looked away.

"You are a very brave woman, Takani-sensei," Irushi said softly and took one step away from Sanosuke. "Not many ladies can look me square in the eye without bursting into tears. Perhaps you didn't look deep enough, sweetheart." His drawling voice went low and he absently retracted the gun so that it leaned against his shoulder and pointed to the wall behind him. "Suppose I just come on over there-" He took a step toward her. A pair of strong hands shoved him as a voice growled fiercely at him.

"Back off."

Irushi continued to look at Megumi. "You're in no position to tell me what to do, Sanosuke. The only authority you have is over your woman. She is your prisoner after all." 

Sano didn't hide his puzzlement and Irushi was only too happy to clarify. "I assume that you would choose to have your woman as your prisoner instead of a corpse." His thumb clicked back the lever. "So again, I ask you, what do you say, Sagara-san?" 

The barrel came down with a swish and Sano caught it within the palm of his hand. The dark stare now fell on the gangster.

"I'm your only direct link to the police department. Good luck trying to find another former gangster turned cop in Tokyo. I won't do shit for you if you hurt her. If you do then I have no reason to live anymore."

Irushi looked hard at him. Sano saw the conflict within, the debate to either blow his insolent brains out or tolerate his lovesick determination to save Megumi. He felt her eyes on him and he agonized over what she might be thinking. Three more chambers; two more chances to live or time to die. Sano wasn't eager to find out either. As much as he hated to do this he knew that he had to play along. He understood it all now. To save Megumi he had to turn against her. The logic behind that made him sick for he swore he would always do what he could to make her happy. But he was tired of playing this game. 

His grip on the barrel was so tight it hurt when he finally let go. He owed his captor an answer, and he owed the woman he loved another chance to live. His head moved slowly and his nod was almost unnoticeable. It was good enough. 

Irushi finally lowered the gun. "I can never understand it. Love that makes people do such odd things." He shook his head in bewilderment. "I'll never get it. If you feel so strongly about this then we seal our agreement right now. Your first official job will be to find the appropriate accommodations for your woman. After she is secured I want you to go immediately to your next task, which is to kill your boss, Saitoh Hajime. That back slash should do the trick. You created it to be non-lethal. Now figure out a way to make it kill." 

He moved away from Sanosuke and allowed him to walk over to Megumi. She looked down at the floor her hair hiding the expression on her face, but the slump of her shoulders told him that she was tired of this as well. 

How the hell am I supposed to convince her that everything is all right? How can she believe that I have it all under control when she sees a gun pointed at my face? Damn, I want to tell her that it'll be all over soon, because that much I do know.

Sano leaned forward and gripped both of her wrists. She looked up at him. "Don't worry about me. I can take it. I don't want him to hurt you. Do whatever you have to do so that he doesn't kill you, alright?" 

Sano didn't answer her. He just pulled her off of the futon and turned her around so that he stood behind her, which allowed him to bring her arms back and hold them securely by her wrists. He saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see Irushi walk toward a dark corner of the room. He heard a loud creek and among those shadows he saw a deeper darkness that looked as if it led into the depths of hell. Irushi materialized from the darkness and motioned for Sano and Megumi to pass through the doorway.

"After you," he said graciously and tipped his hat at Megumi when she passed. She stole a glance into those dark eyes again, and looked deeper this time. She saw all the chaos she had seen earlier, but there was something else there now, the thing that must have driven those other women to cry. However, from what she saw she guessed they did not cry out of fear. They cried out of despair. Megumi blinked her eyes and looked deeper. She saw it clearly now. Those women were devoted to him during different stages of his life, and in one form or another they all sacrificed their lives to save his. They didn't cry because they were afraid to die. They cried because they didn't want to leave him.  

Sano's body pushed against hers and she stumbled forward. She looked away to concentrate on the floor, which was coming closer and closer, until a quick jerk from behind brought her back to her feet. Sano must have felt sorry for doing that to her. His thumb passed lightly over the inside of her palm and he squeezed her hand gently. She continued on.

Love that makes people do such odd things. I'll never get it.

Those words explained a lot to Megumi. He wasn't capable of the kind of emotion that she shared with Sanosuke. He had no idea what love was, which meant that he wasn't able to accept anyone's heart unless he cut it out himself. 

_It must be miserable to be that empty_, Megumi thought as she walked through the door, but she didn't feel sorry for him. He was right. After looking so deeply into his soul she wanted to cry. She wanted to cry because she wasn't sure if she would leave the compound with Sanosuke. She had never considered that possibility until now. If neither of them made it past this day to spend their lives together then she knew that her tears would fall. 

*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *

The activity within the tunnels died down. Kenshin thought that now was a chance for them to make it to the unguarded door and finally catch up to the man who had started all of this trouble. He never thought that he would be involved in another fight to save Japan, yet Sano's involvement made that inevitable. He wondered how he never figured out that Sanosuke led a double life for the past two years. 

He doesn't visit the dojo that often anymore; his tab at the Akebeko has been going down slowly according to Tae; and he knows how to use a sword without killing anyone. 

Kenshin was impressed. No not impressed. He was proud. He was sincerely proud that his friend could accomplish so much in a short period of time. He wasn't sure how far Sanosuke was involved with Saitoh and the department, but he knew that the Wolf didn't waste any time in recognizing Sano's abilities. 

He looked over to see what Saitoh had in mind to get them into that chamber and noticed that the Wolf of Mibu made himself purposely visible to those who patrolled the cave. Kenshin was puzzled. "Saitoh, what are you doing? They're going to see you." 

Sure enough the moment he said those words a man appeared before them. Kenshin's hand went to his sword. He hadn't been in a battle for more than two years but he still had his instincts intact. He read the strangers moves immediately. The blade of his sakaba came swiftly to clash against the steel of another sword. He then pulled back and looked curiously at his partner. Saitoh Hajime placed his sword back into its sheath and turned to regard the newcomer with contempt.

"That was a stupid thing to do. The soldiers could have heard the noise you caused," he said pressing himself against the wall to hide himself once again. The newcomer wasn't the least bit bothered by Saitoh's disapproval. He shrugged carelessly and now directed his attention at Kenshin.

"I wasn't sure if you actually had the legendary Battousai with you. I wanted to see for myself," he said eyeing the sakaba poised at Kenshin's side. "You certainly live up to your legend. I would have been dead had Inspector Fujita not blocked that Battou-Jutsu you aimed at me. I'll be much more careful next time, Battousai."

Kenshin narrowed his gaze and peered at the stranger through slits. "Who are you?"

The Wolf snorted in his corner. "Relax Battousai. He is my other spy. He is here to tell us how to reach that chamber." Saitoh turned to his officer. "You look to be the only one who's doing any work around here. Kyuuto Irushi doesn't know how to pick hardworking soldiers."

"What are you talking about? He picked Sanosuke. He has to be one of the best men on that team. Isn't he your top policeman?" asked Kenshin.

Saitoh looked at the rurouni. "He is-which is why Irushi doesn't know how to pick out a real criminal from a former one. The moment he took Sanosuke into the compound, he has been slowly carving his name onto his own headstone. For such a bad sense of judgment he deserves the worst punishment out of all of them." Before Kenshin could say anything against that, Saitoh turned to his spy again for a report.

"You were near the room. Was there anything going on?"

The spy nodded solemnly. "Kyuuto knows about Sagara-san."

Saitoh was quiet for a moment. Kenshin wondered what went through his mind. "I see."

"The woman was in the room."

Saitoh was unusually alarmed at this. "I see," he repeated. "She was probably taken there to be interrogated by Kyuuto Irushi, but Sanosuke got there first. That dumb bastard." After muttering those last words he shook his head in bewilderment. Kenshin noticed the Wolf's brow momentarily crease with what looked to be concern, but the minute he tried to get a closer look it was gone. Saitoh concerned for Sanosuke? No, he had imagined it. 

"So what has become of the situation now?"

"Sagara-san has been ordered to imprison the woman. And after that he is to find you, and kill you."

Saitoh snorted at that. "Kill me? He can't even immobilize me the right way. Well, we'll see how well he holds up now that I know all about his move. I've been looking forward to a rematch with Roosterhead. I'll give him a good fight."

Kenshin looked incredulously at him. "You're actually going to fight Sano? That's your plan for getting us out of this?"

"No. If the Roosterhead has been ordered to find me, then perhaps I can save some time and have someone take me directly to him. Our fight may just be enough to entertain Irushi so that he or his guards won't notice that someone has gotten directly to Austin."

Kenshin moved so that he could peek out at the unguarded doorway. It was an opportunity to approach the man himself. If Saitoh and Sano could divert their attention long enough, then Kenshin could get to he old man and perhaps talk some sense into him. He figured that Austin was instrumental, but not the mastermind of this. He had the money but that was all he was good for.

"Alright, I'll do it. But remember who you're fighting. Don't pick this fight as the one to settle your score. Remember why we're here."

Saitoh smirked at Kenshin. "Settle my score? I wouldn't dream of it. I have a very ugly gash on my back thanks to him, and it will certainly be enough motivation for me to make the fight believable. But settle my score? Of course not- but I won't go easy on the Rooster. He's going to learn among other things, not to bite Mibu's Wolf. We bite back."

With that Saitoh handed his sword over to the spy who unsheathed it and pointed it at the Wolf's throat. The sight of this made Kenshin uneasy. He had to remind himself that it was part of the plan. The spy waved the sword at Saitoh indicating for him to move toward the stairs. Once they were there Saitoh gave his spy a slight nod and then fell over from the vicious strike he received. Kenshin had to refrain himself from attacking the spy. Saitoh lay on his side recovering from a blow to his head, and the spy turned the sword over again so that the blade pointed at his boss. He glanced at Kenshin and fired off hasty directions.

 "When I get Inspector Fujita to the main floor I'm going to have some of the guards help me trap him. We should cause enough of a commotion to let you slip past us. Neither I, nor Inspector Fujita will be able to give you a signal so use your best judgment. You will only have that one chance so make it count." Before he turned to carry out his end of the plan he paused to gaze meaningfully at the rurouni. Kenshin felt as if he were seeing the young man alive for the last time. "It was my honor to meet you. Good luck to you, Battousai," and then he and Saitoh were gone. 

Kenshin went close enough to the stairwell to study the scene before him. Saitoh stumbled forward with the spy at his heels. This caught the attention of the guards on the floor. 

"Oi, what's he doing in here?" one of them asked and a group of soldiers formed around them with their swords drawn. 

The spy stopped when Saitoh stood up. He had a fierce look in his eyes that made him look insane when a thick line of blood trailed down his face from a gash on his forehead. He focused his energy on keeping himself on his feet. The spy lowered the sword.

"I found him lurking about in the tunnels. This is the cop that Irushi-sama has been looking for, the former Shinsengumi captain, Saitoh Hajime."

The look on the soldier's faces told Kenshin that they had immediately condemned the Wolf of Mibu. They descended upon him. The spy took his place among the soldiers and surrounded Saitoh, making it difficult for him to run for it. But of course, that wasn't in the policeman's nature. He thrived on battles like this. He felt the blood pound in his ears and he went directly for the spy. 

"You have something that belongs to me," he said, dodging an oncoming blade and taking the young man down. The spy didn't put up much of a fight when Saitoh took back his sword. The Wolf was now armed and ready for his prey. He took one swipe with his sword and drew blood from a warrior who had attempted to impale him. Then he was quickly in Gatotsu form when the rest of the warriors pounced on him. Saitoh went through five of them and managed to wound another when he was struck from behind. The gash on his back screamed with pain and momentarily rendered him to his knees. He looked past the bodies he had cut through and saw that more soldiers were on their way. Many doors were unguarded now. The special room was free to invade, and he hoped that the Battousai was smart enough to see the opening. He thrust his sword into the floor and used it as leverage to pull himself to his feet. When he looked around he saw that there were double the amount of soldiers now. That was fine with him. For every one of his officers that was killed he vowed to take down ten of Kyuuto Irushi's. He looked momentarily at his spy and hoped he was ready. Then he went into his Gatotsu stance once again. 

Kenshin had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew that Saitoh and his spy had a plan but the situation looked as if it was going to take a dangerous turn. The rurouni was amazed that the wolf was able to strike down another group of warriors and then take another blow, this one in his right arm. The blood soaked through his dark uniform and dripped down his now limp arm. This was definitely getting serious. Kenshin wanted to jump in and help his partner. His gaze went to the spy who had taken the lead in the attack against his boss. It looked as if it were going to be a show down between the two. 

He can't take this fight too far. He has to remember that he is doing all this in order to reach Sanosuke. 

Kenshin sighed and reluctantly inched out of the stairwell. He looked around carefully screening the area above him. The room wasn't very far off at all. All he needed was the right moment. He scanned the area again. There was no one in the path between the stairwell and the room. He looked in the direction of the fight. The spy and his boss were dead in the center of a group of entranced warriors. 

Saitoh, please don't go too far. I hope your man knows what he's doing.

And with that, he leapt onto the floor and bolted straight for the room. No one noticed; except the former Shinsengumi's Third Unit captain, Saitoh Hajime. Nothing could make him forget the speed of the Battousai and that is exactly what he saw out of the corner of his eye as he charged his spy. His Gatotsu was purposely executed at half-speed so that his spy could connect with his own blow. Saitoh felt the blade of the sword cut into his arm once again. He was in enough pain to make his reaction seem more realistic than an act. His spy took this opportunity to turn his sword around and strike Saitoh in the back of the head with the blunt edge. The wolf went down immediately, accepting this defeat as a breather for the fight that was yet to come. As he closed his eyes he relaxed and listened.

"We can't kill him. Irushi-sama wants this man alive. Take him to a cell and clean him up. He will need plenty of rest for what Kyuuto Irushi has planned for him." The voice of his spy rang in his ears and Saitoh hoped that he survived the entire ordeal. When they returned to the police department he would definitely suggest a promotion for this officer. But for now, he had to think of his own survival. He felt his body being dragged away and he rested, content that this part of their plan had been a success. 


	15. Chapter 15

All for Love

**Disclaimer**: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates. 

Chapter 15

The door closed behind them and they were in complete darkness. Then the devil gave them light in the form of a lantern, which he held before him. With a slight movement of his head he motioned for them to follow. 

          "Don't fall too far behind. If you get lost I won't come back for you. I'll quite enjoy hearing your screams of distress for a while until I get tired of them, and then I'll just shoot you both."

          Sanosuke took advantage of the shadow that was cast over them and he leaned in close to briefly press his head against Megumi's. He felt her body stiffen and heard her breath catch in her throat. She bit her lower lip wishing that Sano had not done that. 

          "What are you two doing back there?" 

          Sano looked up into a lantern held directly in front of his face. He turned his face to the side to escape the bright light that blinded him. Irushi quirked an eyebrow at him, and then turned his gaze to Megumi. 

"Darling, you just ruined the moment for this gentleman. He was just trying to show you how much he loves you. Now that I know what he was up to I'm not going to give him anymore chances to sneak around." He stood aside and held his hand out to lead the way for them. "Just keep going straight until you see a large steel door. I'll be right behind you. There should be enough light for you to see what's in front of you. If you go off course I'll let you know right away. Or I'll let you get lost. We'll see how I feel if that actually happens. Now get moving."

          They continued on in silence, walking ahead of the madman and anticipating some sort of an attack. Megumi could feel his gaze on her from time to time and she wondered if his plan was to actually leave them for dead in these dark tunnels. Sano made no more attempts at affection and resumed with his rigid demeanor ushering her stiffly before him. She heard his steady breathing, sensed the careful movements of his pace and noted the way he held her wrists unusually tight. If she shifted her hand just a little she wondered if her bones would snap. Irushi had been right. The lantern allowed them to see just what was ahead and when Megumi thought their trek would never end she noticed the light reflect off of something before them. Sano slowed his pace forcing her to do the same. They came to a complete stop and Irushi brushed past them to turn the handle and open the door. He stepped through and then moved aside to allow them to pass. When they were completely out of the tunnel Irushi let the door slam shut. Megumi was surprised that the noise failed to startle her. Irushi turned to Megumi once again and slowly looked her over. His close scrutiny made her shudder. 

          "My, my. You're even more beautiful in the light. Sagara, you sure do have great taste in women." He moved in even closer and raised his hand to grip her chin. Sano's body tensed further and his common sense left him long enough to prepare his leg for a vicious kick. 

          "Sano, don't."

          The voice was barely audible, yet it broke through the temporary rage that had consumed the fighter. Megumi felt his body relax enough to allow his logical mind to take over. She stared blankly into Irushi's eyes and watched a sickening grin form on his face.

          "You're smart too. You know your man well." He leaned back and released his grip. "Sagara, you don't have to worry. My intentions aren't to desecrate your woman that way. Neither my soldiers, nor myself will have anything to do with her. She is your responsibility and I expect you to do your job properly. The holding cells are down on the first fl-"

          "Who's out there?"

          Megumi turned her head to follow the direction of the voice that spoke a strange language.

          "Corpus, is that you?"

          Megumi held her breath. _Could that be…?_

          A figure appeared in the doorway of what Megumi realized was a sitting room. Under different circumstances she would have been impressed with the plush furniture and beautiful tapestries, but at that moment all of her attention was fixed on the elderly gentleman who had joined them. Irushi stood at attention. 

          "Mr. Austin, we've caught this woman sneaking around outside. Her name is Takani Megumi. She is _his_ daughter."

          The old man shifted his gaze to study Megumi. His blue eyes looked tired, and glassy. She knew right away that he was seriously ill. 

          "I see. I finally get to meet you. I would like to say that it is a pleasure, however our present circumstances will refute that." He nodded his head slightly to acknowledge her; the fact that he spoke Japanese made no impression on her. Then he turned to Sanosuke. 

          "You're still alive. I must say that I'm surprised. Corpus isn't one to take that kind of treatment from gangster trash. You must be a better asset than I thought." He glanced briefly at Irushi who nodded his head slightly. "Regardless, that will be the last time you display any disrespect. I don't care whether we agree to your terms or not, remember who it is you work for." And with that he turned to Irushi, granted him a parting nod and returned to the other room. 

          "Sagara, the holding cells are on the first floor. Pick one for your woman and then report back to me immediately. I want to start my plan as soon as possible." And without looking at them, Irushi raised his hand and dismissed the fox and the rooster. 

*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  

          It was so late for him. He wasn't used to staying up past nine o' clock anymore. He felt a burning in his chest, which gave way to tightness in his throat and before he could brace himself another fit of coughs ripped out of him. This round took more out him than he expected and he stumbled to his bed and collapsed on it, laying across the foot of the mattress with his legs dangling over the edge. Irushi found him when he was almost lost in another dreamless wave of unconsciousness, and he felt himself pulled back to stare into the eyes of his surrogate son. Irushi had been shaking him for a good twenty seconds and he wondered why he wasn't dizzy from the constant bouncing against his bed. He finally opened his eyes fully as a signal for the other to stop since he could do nothing else. Irushi rolled him over and lifted his head to hold a hankerchief to his mouth as he coughed some more. He knew these weren't going to be pretty. He felt the sharpness inside of him give way and the warm fluid came up to stain the cloth that his charge held up to him. Some of the flow spattered onto the young man's hand and he gasped.

          "Mr. Austin!" he whispered mournfully, dropping the fabric to replace it with another one. Austin waved it away and lay back down. He was aching to sink into the darkness for only a few minutes. That was all he wanted right now. 

          "Corpus." The word tore his throat to shreds. He winced but continued. "This has been happening for a while. I don't know what it means but it can't be good. Let me just lay here for a little bit. That's what I normally do. I feel better after I sleep." He closed his eyes. He felt himself being shaken once again. He opened his eyes. "Yes?"

          "What did the doctor say? Exactly how long have you known?"

          Austin blinked weakly. "The doctor isn't sure what it is. All he knows is that it started in my throat and just keeps growing. I'm not going to get better, Corpus. It's eventually going to kill me."

          Irushi looked hard at Austin. "How long?"

          The old man sighed wearily. "I've known for five months. Since before we left to come here."

          "Why didn't you mention anything? If I hadn't found you right now I wouldn't have known anything. You would die and wouldn't know the reason why. Why would you do that?"

          "Corpus, it's better that people don't know what's wrong with me. It took a lot of work for me to keep my illness a secret in the States. It's much more difficult here. I figured if you didn't know then you wouldn't do anything to draw attention to it. It's not good if our soldiers know that their leader is so close to Hell's gate."

          Irushi's gaze almost turned into a glare, but it softened and he finally looked away. He took the soiled cloth within his hand and wrapped the clean one around it. "You shouldn't say that Mr. Austin. You're a God-fearing man. You're not going to Hell."

          Austin knew it would hurt immensely but he laughed softly anyway causing Irushi to give him a look. It made his painful laugh harder to stop. "Corpus, please. I never taught you anything about Christianity so don't preach to me about being a God-fearing man. Stick with what you know, all right? You're a great enforcer, and the only one who can carry out this plan."

          Austin closed his eyes to signal that the conversation was over. He felt himself being shaken once again. He kept his eyes closed. "Christ, you're worse than a kid who's afraid of the dark! What is it, Corpus?"

          Irushi looked thoughtful. "I do know about Christianity Mr. Austin." 

          The old man opened his eyes. He was intrigued. "Oh? And where did you learn this from?"

          "Reverend Collins."

          "Corpus, if I know anything about Reverend Collins it's that he'll be the one to meet me at the gates of Hell. That man sinned more than I did in all my past lives put together. He's no authority, so you _don't_ know anything."

          Irushi had a gleam in his eyes as he got off the bed. "Reverend Collins told me that Christians work hard at being good so that they can go to Heaven. It's the most important thing to live your life to do good things for others. 'Live like the Lord', is what he said. Use that example, and if you've strayed from that path then ask for forgiveness and the Lord will forgive, no questions asked. It doesn't matter how bad you've been, just as long as God can see within your heart how sincerely sorry you are. The Reverend told me that people who are close to death start to think a lot about what they've done in life. If they've done lots of harm they begin to think about asking for forgiveness because they want to secure that place in Heaven. They want to meet up with the people who actually made it there so that they can all be together again for eternity. People close to death start to think about turning their lives around and starting fresh so that they are living without sin until the day they die."

 Irushi walked to the door now and turned to look back at Austin. "Don't you think about living without sin until the day you die, Mr. Austin?"

The old man stared blankly at him. "What are you asking me?"

"Do you want me to stop the plan so that you can die in peace?"

Austin couldn't believe he was hearing this. He sat up slowly, cautiously regarding his son. "I'm not sure." 

He wasn't sure where that came from but he didn't find himself retracting the thought. It was the truth. Since he found out about his illness he found himself fantasizing from time to time about a different lifestyle. He loved Irushi and appreciated all he did, but some part of him secretly wanted the boy to stop and forget the whole thing. The past five months actually made him realize that he had forgiven Takani-sensei a long time ago. He had let his son Hank go, and all he had thought of after that was the chance to see him once again. 

Irushi didn't say anything for a long moment. He seemed almost sincere, considering the question that was asked just a few moments ago.  But Austin knew that look on his face and he spoke up before Irushi could say anything.

"Be honest with me, son. Were you serious when you asked me that question?"

Irushi took a deep breath. This was hard for him. "I was absolutely serious, Mr. Austin however I have no intention of stopping now. I'm sorry." 

Austin nodded his head, expecting that exact answer from the young man he had taught to hate so viciously. He really couldn't blame him. 

"If it is of any consolation, I can continue this on my own. Why don't you release yourself from all of the responsibilities and give me full control of everything. I have more of a motive than you do anyway. What do you say, Mr. Austin?"

Austin had trained him well. He was proud, but disappointed at the same time. He couldn't give his consent to that request. He had no right to give his opinion on anything anymore. He turned away and shifted his body so that he lay down on his side with his back to Irushi. He hoped he would get the point and leave him to his thoughts. The young man took the gesture as an affirmative and left the room heeding his master's request to be alone. A soldier, one of the new members of their group met him at the other side. 

"Irushi-sama," he greeted and bowed respectfully. Irushi acknowledged him with a nod. "We've found an intruder. He was sneaking around outside and managed to get in and kill a number of our soldiers. He's a dangerous fellow, and he looks like a cop. You think he's the one they call, Mibu's Wolf?"

A grin formed on Irushi's face as his eyes began to glow with anticipation. "What kind of sword did he carry?"

The soldier thought for a moment. "A katana."

The grin turned into a full toothy smile, his suspicions confirmed. "That's him. He must have a full army outside waiting for us. This is going to be fun, ne? Get everyone ready. My new recruit, Sagara Sanosuke will take care of the Wolf. Everyone else is to prepare for battle. Where is the Wolf, now?"

"He was taken to one of the holding cells below."

Irushi couldn't believe how easy this was. _My luck just shines while theirs gets worse and worse. _"Good. Get down there before Sagara makes his way back up here. The quicker he disposes of that cop the quicker we can rid ourselves of the rest of them. They're here to ruin my plans and I can't allow that." He dismissed the soldier who turned to hurry with his assignment, but Irushi grabbed his shoulder to stop him from leaving. The young man looked over his shoulder to eye his leader curiously. Irushi saw a brief flash of nervousness in his gaze. He liked it when his soldiers were afraid of him. 

"If Sagara fails to make any mark on Saitoh Hajime then your group is to kill them both. This will ensure that I won't be disappointed either way. Do you understand?"

The soldier nodded stiffly and almost sighed with relief when Irushi released his grip. "Will you be there as well, Irushi-sama?"

"Of course. I've dreamt of the demise of Mibu's Wolf since I came back to this godforsaken country. After him, my next target is the Battousai. I know he's lurking around here as well and my intention is to have my new recruit, should he be successful in this fight, get rid of him as well."

The warrior cautiously let a moment pass before asking, "The Battousai as well?"

Irushi nodded and he left his warrior with a frozen heart as he stated his parting words in a deadly tone. "Him and everyone else he's associated with. I want them all to die miserably."

*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *        

He was surprised that they were allowed to wander the mansion on their own. Sanosuke followed the directions Irushi had given him, leading Megumi to the holding cells like the prisoner she agreed to be. She made no objections when Sano bound her wrists together with a leather strap, and she didn't seem bothered by his awkward silence. They passed many guards and received the same blank stares from each one. They passed the main floor undetected for there was a commotion that had grabbed the attention of every soldier guarding this level. Neither the fox nor the rooster seemed interested in seeing what the trouble was about and continued on to the lower level of the compound. Sano had no other thought but to get Megumi to the most comfortable dungeon he could find and report back to Kyuuto Irushi. They could have run off but then that would leave Kenshin and Saitoh trapped inside with no knowledge that they were safely outside. Sano knew that they would have entered the compound by now and to risk an escape would ruin the chances of ending the ordeal. Besides, he was at a point where he wanted to remain and fight the battle from within. He knew he could do some damage when the time came and he would just sit tight and take orders from one boss until his real boss gave him the signal to strike. 

With that in mind he silently led Megumi ahead until they finally found the underground prisons. They were all alike and Sano chose one at random. The heavy wooden door was unlocked, and it made a loud creaking noise as he pushed it open. That sound drew much attention to them. Within seconds a uniformed guard came toward them and grabbed Megumi from his arms. She flinched at the strangers touch, but what worried her more was the expression on Sanosuke's face. He was enraged.

"Who the hell are you!" he roared at the soldier who had put his hands on Megumi. A knife to her throat calmed him immediately.

"Your orders have changed, Sagara-san. I'll take care of the lady for you. You are to take care of him." He looked past Sano, and the gangster followed his gaze to meet a pair of intense amber eyes. They seemed to mirror the exact thoughts that ran through his mind- 

This is too easy. I don't like it.

Sano wondered what kind of situation his boss had gotten himself into. He had bruises on his face and cuts on his arms that looked deep enough to require stitches. What the hell was going on, and where was Kenshin? Then he received an answer to his questions. Saitoh grinned like a madman.

"I knew you were gangster trash all along, Roosterhead. I expected you to fall back to your old ways sooner of later, but I never thought you'd be stupid enough to join the group of a foreign radical. What you've done is unforgivable." 

Sano understood immediately. It was going to begin. He matched the wolf's gaze and followed his lead. "What's unforgivable is the way you keep fighting for a government that should have never been born. You and Kenshin have it all wrong and I can't stand to be a part of what you fight for." He slowly drew his sword and pointed it at the Wolf. He directed his next command to the soldier on Saitoh's left. "Let him go and give him his sword."

The soldier looked incredulously at the gangster unsure of the request. "Listen to, Sagara. He is about to show his loyalty to our group."

Heads turned collectively to acknowledge the appearance of the master, Kyuuto Irushi. Sano wasn't surprised that he had decided to witness the fight. However, the expression on Saitoh's face told him that he hadn't expected the leader to be present for their altercation. Things were getting more complicated and the wolf was getting worried, but he let his worry fade before Irushi's gaze fell on him. He knew right away that he was looking into the eyes of a very intuitive madman. 

The soldier listened to his master and released Saitoh. Then he handed him the katana and backed away into the rest of the crowd that had formed around them. The injured wolf welcomed his weapon and immediately shot forward aiming his Gatotsu straight for Sano's heart. The gangster was barely prepared for the onslaught and met the blade head on with a block that saved him from being skewered. However, the blade still made contact with his flesh and slashed his forearm open. 

Sano grimaced. Cuts weren't new to him, but the power behind the strike made it especially brutal and he felt as if his arm had been sliced right down to the bone. Had he been using that appendage to hold his sword the blade would have fallen to the ground with a clatter. He pivoted to his left and dodged another ambush by the wolf, this time suffering a strike to his side. His wound from their previous fight had been reopened and blood poured freely down to stain his gi pants. Sano struggled to stay on his feet and positioned himself into the Gatotsu stance. He felt the eyes of Kyuuto Irushi on him and he knew he had to make this believable. Saitoh had done a good job so far, but it made Sano wonder if the wolf was taking this as an opportunity to get back at him for how he had ended their last fight. Whatever it was, the madman had to be pleased with the performance. 

I have to kill Saitoh, but how am I going to make it look like I killed him without actually ending his life? He already knows about my back slash so he won't fall for that again. Or will he…?

Sanosuke noticed how tense Saitoh was and this time he was able to read his move instantly. The wolf charged and Sano took the opportunity. He dodged under the oncoming blade and whipped around so that he was behind Saitoh. The wolf was wide open, and vulnerable and Sano swung the blade upward to connect with the base of his back. His sword made contact but he didn't expect to hear the sound of steel against steel. He looked right into the amber glare of his boss. Saitoh had known exactly what his subordinate was going to do, so he simply pivoted around bringing his sword back with him. The look on Sano's face was enough revenge for him. He ended the shock for him and punched him in the face with his free hand. 

"You didn't expect me to fall for that move again, did you? If that's all you're going to rely on then you're out of luck. I suggest you surrender your master over. His wrath is nothing compared to what I will do to you if you choose to continue." Saitoh then turned to address Kyuuto Irushi. "You have no chance at winning. No matter how you fare in our battle here, you will be severely outnumbered should you choose to venture outside. I know every possible escape situated in this complex, those that are known to everyone here, and those that are known only to you. My officer made sure to inform me of that before you killed him and now my other officer is on his way to inform my team that it's time to move in." He lifted his sword and pointed it at Irushi, a wide smirk spreading across his face. "Time's run out for you."

Irushi didn't think so. He shifted his calm expression to regard his new recruit closely. He was pleased with what he saw. "You should tell that to my soldier. He believes that the fight is still on."

Saitoh turned to Sano, and came within inches of having the point of a sword imbedded between his eyes. He looked down the length of the blade and into the desperate gaze of Sanosuke. What he saw unnerved him.

_What are you really fighting for, Sagara Sanosuke? _,he wondered as he silently watched the other man sheath his sword and fall into a stance that he recognized immediately. Saitoh watched him more closely not convinced he was actually seeing this. If he was correct to assume this, Sanosuke was preparing to use a Battou-jutsu. If that was the case, then he wanted to know where the hell he learned how to do that? He cast a quick glance over his shoulder to see how the Fox was doing. His other spy had done a good job at keeping her calm but he knew that she was still terrified. She had good reason to be. He had no intention of making this easy for the Roosterhead. He wasn't about to throw a fight to make a psychopath happy, and the truth was he had actually lied to the Battousai. This was a perfect chance to settle their score. Sano was going to learn that the Gatotsu could be used as a non-killing technique as well- however the pain would cause even the strongest fighter to beg for death. 

Saitoh moved gracefully into his stance and steadily watched Sanosuke. His pose was interesting. He was going to attempt the Battou-jutsu with his left hand. Saitoh didn't remember if Sano had the ability to wield a sword with his left hand, but then again this wouldn't be the first time that his officer surprised him. _He's full of a lot more than shit_, he mused and waited for the rooster to strike. Saitoh was going to allow him to make the first move, however it wouldn't set the pace of the fight for he knew that they had to make it last as long as they could continue to go on. He knew that the Battousai was near to where Austin was hiding and if they could keep everyone's attention diverted he could apprehend the old man and finally put an end to this ordeal. Now the question was whether Sano remembered that this was still an actual case, and not a rescue operation for his Fox. Saitoh knew what Sano was here for, and he was fine with that. He just feared how much it consumed him to save the woman.

_Love makes people do the strangest things_, he thought to himself as he noted Sano's tense form. The gangster narrowed his gaze and folded his tall body to crouch ever so slightly. Saitoh read him clearly. It was just like what the Battousai did. He had been ready back then when he went against the Battousai. He thought he was ready now facing an ex-Sekihou Tai renegade. Sano bolted forward and whipped out his sword. The move was so familiar to Saitoh. Left leg leads; blade coming at him in an arc; Saitoh charged and their blades connected. His successfully defended Gatotsu slid along Sano's blade as he expected it to, but he didn't expect it to stop abruptly and rest against the other sword. Saitoh wondered what the hell was going on- then he got his answer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sanosuke's right fist come forward to make contact with their connected swords. Then a sharp wave tore through him. 

Saitoh's body was propelled backward and he landed on the floor like a corpse feeling as if his insides had been ripped apart. He remembered witnessing this strike. He remembered someone had used a sword to direct its power across the floor. Had the rooster figured out a way to direct it _through_ the sword? It certainly was powerful. He felt something rise from his throat and he couldn't control the blood that spewed forth. This wasn't good. He was barely able to sit up but he managed to pull himself upward and fall forward so that he could spit out more blood. He knew from his ki that Sanosuke was still near him, waiting patiently for him to stand. Saitoh knew that with a warrior as unstable as Kyuuto Irushi that was the worst thing he could do. A fight to the death didn't leave room for the honorable gesture of not striking a man when he's down. A fight to the death meant you finished him off. Kyuuto Irushi was not pleased. 

He slipped past his warriors and made his way to the object behind Sanosuke's motivation. Her gaze never wavered from her beloved hero- that is until she heard the click of a gun. When she shifted her eyes to look at him a blanket of red blinded her, but her ears heard every sickening sound that followed, and her skin recoiled as she felt his arm wrap around her. She thrashed her body out of his grip, and pummeled his chest blindly with her fists. The redness burned her eyes, and traces of it dripped down the side of her face to slip inside the corners of her mouth. Her eyes snapped open. She focused on the wretched being who clung to her and spat the vile substance into his face. 

Irushi raised a hand to wipe a spot of blood from his eye. He smiled wildly and shot one hand upward to tightly grip the back of her neck. He raised his bloodied gun with his other hand and pointed the barrel against her forehead. Megumi froze. 

"There's no reason for me to keep you alive, Mademoiselle." He pulled back the lever. "It's been a pleasure." 

Sanosuke looked over his boss and wondered if their display had pleased Kyuuto Irushi. Not that he cared about making the madman happy. He had more important things to fight for and with that thought in mind he turned to steal a glance at his beloved fox lady. The sound of a gunshot made his heart stop.

It made Saitoh's head snap up, and the glare in his eyes made them glow with anticipation. Irushi's warriors grew restless and looked for the guidance of their master for the room began to quickly fill with one police officer after another. Saitoh pulled himself to his feet and looked to see what had his top officer so riveted. When Sanosuke bolted toward the direction of the gunshot Saitoh let him be and raised his hand commanding the attention of his troops. The sound of the gun signaled Irushi's army to attack. Saitoh's Gatotsu pose signaled his police officer's to counter. He smirked with satisfaction as he thrust his katana into one radical. It was finally going to begin.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates.

The darkness of the tunnel began to fade when Kenshin found himself in front of a door. He had walked the entire length of it with his hands pressed against the cold stonewall to find his way around and spent much of the time wondering if he would be attacked. His ki didn't detect any kind of presence but he refused to stay off his guard. Walking around in pitch-blackness made his senses more acute; it also elevated his apprehension. So when he finally reached the door with the light peeking in through the edges he breathed a sigh of relief that he had gotten past this relatively easily.

He now stood before the door and stared at it as if he were able to see right through it. He knew what lay beyond the barrier and he knew that opening the door posed the risk of danger. What if there were guards watching over old man Austin? What if he himself waited, armed and ready for anyone who dared invade his home? Kenshin had never met the man and he didn't want to underestimate him. He reached out and felt around the darkness until he touched a handle on the door. He moved it from side to side and discovered that a turn to the right opened the door. He pushed the heavy steel door slowly allowing light to flood inside of the tunnel. His hand was on his sword as he slowly stepped into a beautifully furnished room. Kenshin wasn't familiar with the style of furnishings but he thought that they were indeed suitable of their owner. He glanced around before he stepped all the way into the room and closed the door. He took one more look around and was certain that the room housed no one. A doorway across from him caught his eye and one glance inside confirmed the presence of the enemy. And he was armed.

Kenshin moved his hand away from the sword. He did not want to fight this man. He knew that he was in no shape to fight, much less hold the gun he desperately tried to keep from falling out of his grip. The old man raised another hand to keep the weapon steady. His tired looking eyes filled with enough life to focus Kenshin with a steady glare. He pulled back the lever of the gun.

"How did you get in here?"

Kenshin wondered if the weapon was loaded. "I came through the tunnel. My name is Himura Kenshin."

Austin leaned against the doorway for support, and gazed steadily at the samurai. "You're the Battousai?"

Kenshin shook his head. "I don't go by that name anymore. I am just a rurouni. But I have been looking for you. The police are here. They have surrounded your home and I believe by this time they have already entered the premises."

Austin dropped the arm that held the gun. He looked shocked at the news and seemed unsure of what to do. "How the did cops get past our guards? I hired the best men to protect my house, and you're telling me that it wasn't enough." He turned away from Kenshin and slid along the doorframe to stumble into his chambers. Kenshin followed him inside, observing how the old man moved. The only people he knew who moved that way were ones who were dying. Austin barely made it to his bed and let himself fall onto it with a hard thud. His back was to Kenshin who stopped just at the edge. "Corpus will know what to do. I'm not worried." He spoke softly forming his words over moist cracking noises that made his voice deteriorate. He wanted to say more but it just hurt too much. He felt the presence move so that he now looked up at the man he had known as the Battousai. A man who knew very well when another man was dying.

"You don't have very long."

It was a statement rather than a question. Austin was amazed that he knew when death was coming.

"If you surrender now we can avoid anymore bloodshed." Kenshin knew Saitoh enough to confirm that by now men were being killed. "If you call off your enforcer, Kyuuto Irushi, the police are prepared to spare his life and have him face jail for his crimes instead of death." Kenshin wondered how difficult it would be to convince Saitoh to consider that. He noticed that Austin moved his lips to speak but the words were lost within his broken voice. The rurouni moved closer and kneeled beside the bed next to Austin. The old man's eyes were glazed over, and he rolled them slowly to focus on the young man before him.

"…not too late."

Kenshin leaned in close so that his ear was by Austin's lips. "Mr. Austin does Irushi know about your condition?"

Austin's head moved slightly against his pillow. Kenshin noticed a small trail of blood roll down the side of his mouth. The old man didn't have much time at all. He pressed his eyes together as a wave of pain hit him, and he reached out to grasp the sleeve of Kenshin's kimono. The rurouni unconsciously held his hand out and Austin held it in a tight grip.

This was the hardest death that Kenshin ever witnessed. He was used to watching his victim's lives slip away quickly after he had sliced through them with his sword. He wasn't used to watching a man die slowly from disease, watching as the pain from within surfaced to overcome and enslave his entire body to drive him into utter madness. He hated to watch this, but furthermore he hated that he had to add to the man's discomfort by reiterating why he was there.

"Mr. Austin, don't say anything to me. Just listen and answer me with a signal when you feel you're ready to make a decision. I'll stay here with you for as long as it takes. Now I need to know what you want to do. The police are inside. There is a lot of fighting going on right at this moment. Your army will face defeat, and your son Irushi will face the worst possible punishment at the hands of the police if they fail. That can be avoided if you surrender."

Kenshin watched Austin's face relax after the wave of pain passed. He meant what he had said. However long it took he would stay at the man's side until he was ready to make a move, and oddly enough he was glad to be there. He wondered if Kyuuto Irushi did in fact know that Austin was sick. Did he realize that the man was dying at this moment? If Saitoh hadn't planned for him to confront Austin, the man would have been forced to die alone. Austin's grip on his hand weakened and he let his own drop to his side.

"If you want this to stop you'll have to take it up with my son."

Kenshin was surprised that Austin was still able to speak. "What do you mean?"

"He's taken over the entire operation. I have nothing to do with this anymore," Austin answered closing his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again he looked intently at the man before him. More blood seeped down the corner of his mouth. "You know Battousai, this is all my fault? Twelve years ago I adopted a scared little boy, took him into my home and slowly made him into a monster. I turned him into the exact opposite of what my real son was. My son Hank was such a good man. He was kind, forgiving, and he believed with all his heart that I could change my ways. He followed me to Japan to try and talk me out of this way of life. He was so good; it was hard for me to understand why he died so young. But he did and when that happened all I could think about was how cruel God was to take my good son away from me. And then it dawned on me that maybe I was being punished for my crimes; that I didn't deserve such a good and caring son like Hank. A man like me deserved to have a demon for a child, and so when I came across Corpus I was determined not to lose him. He had to be the kind of son that a man like me deserved, so for these past twelve years I raised him to be a criminal."

Austin paused to take a painful breath. His statement took a lot of energy out of him. "How do you stop someone who has been trained in the art of killing, Battousai? You were an assassin at one time, and yet you were able to stop killing. Once I'm gone do you think Corpus will have it in him to stop?"

Kenshin wished he knew how to answer that. He had his own reasons for leaving the Hitokiri Battousai behind. He doubted those circumstances applied to Kyuuto Irushi. "You want him to stop?"

A faint nod was the old man's answer. "I caused him a lot of damage. When I'm gone he'll have the chance to heal. It'll take a long time but I think he can become a good man…" Austin's eyes closed as his voice began to fade. "…like my son Hank."

His breathing grew fainter and fainter. Kenshin reached out and grasped Austin's old withered hand. It lay limp and heavy inside his calloused palm without even a trace of a grip to match his own. He squeezed it gently, and then laid it down on top of the man's still chest.

* * *

Irushi felt the bullet rip into his left shoulder and he felt his grip on the woman weaken. He moved the barrel of the gun from her forehead, aimed it at the officer who had shot him, and sent a bullet right between his eyes. He felt her fingers dig into his wound and that loosened his grip completely. He hissed and swung the gun back to strike her on the side of the head knocking her to the ground and leaving her motionless. He never noticed the figure barreling toward him, so when he pointed the gun to shoot the unconscious woman he wasn't prepared for the collision. He felt his ribs crack beneath the oncoming force of flesh and bone; he felt the anger that fueled the power behind the blow and he couldn't stop himself from falling backward.

If he wasn't faintly aware of his surroundings and his situation Irushi would surely believe that he was just attacked by a wild animal. His attacker, Sanosuke roared with all of his rage and went right to pummeling him into the ground. Irushi felt white-hot pain in his face as he heard his nose crack beneath a bloody fist and when he felt sticky wetness on the back of his head he quickly went into defense. He clasped Sanosuke's wrists and used the strength of his arms and legs to maneuver himself and flip over on top of him. In less than a heartbeat he had reached into the folds of his coat and had a razor sharp blade slicing across his attackers shoulder blades. Irushi cursed. That strike was meant for the throat, but Sano had shifted his body beneath him to avoid the fatal slash.

Sano had no time to feel the pain. He knew he bled profusely, but he also knew that he had to get Irushi the hell off of him. He wished he had listened to Saitoh who had once told him to work on his defensive skills. He had never counted on facing an opponent who fought so well. They had just started but Sano already knew that it would take more than raw strength to beat the madman, Irushi. He saw the blade arc away from his shoulder, saw the hand that held it switch its grip so that it held the knife palm up, and saw it make its way down toward him. He lifted his head upward barely avoiding the blow, and smashed his forehead against Irushi's bleeding nose.

The warrior pulled back momentarily struck dumb with pain, and this gave Sano the opportunity to scramble to his feet. He took half a second to take note of where Megumi had fallen and then set his sights on Irushi once again. He didn't want to give the madman the slightest advantage. Megumi looked to be safe where she lay. He had to trust that one of the police officers would come to her aid. For now it was all about stopping Kyuuto Irushi, who had cupped his nose within his hands as he stumbled backwards onto his heels. All Sano could see where his eyes, which were glaring with fierceness right at him. Sano couldn't help but be proud of momentarily putting Kyuuto Irushi out of commission. First Saitoh, and now the psychotic warrior; Sano had to admit that he was on a roll. He watched intently as Irushi lowered his bloody hands to reveal his disfigured nose. Then he moved slowly, using as much effort as he could to prevent the dizzying pain from making him fall over as he stood up straight. His glare softened and Sano could swear that the madman looked subdued.

"You're quite a good fighter, Sagara Sanosuke. I never thought that I would have such a hard time with you." He bent down to recover his blade and placed it back in his belt. "However, we're going to have to settle this problem between us." Irushi paused and took a look around. It was surprising the amount of chaos that had occurred in such a short time. Dead and wounded men lay on the floor. His soldiers were fighting with such savageness that many of the dead were the policemen. This pleased him very much.

"My army is doing quite well against the cops. Now, I'm in a good mood. I think I'll let you choose the weapon for our fight. What do you say Sagara-san?"

Sano wanted to hit him in the nose again. "I say that you're a coward. Our little grappling match tells me that you can't fight me without pulling out a weapon. How do you expect me to take you seriously?"

Irushi narrowed his eyes tightly as his mouth twisted into an embittered snarl. "I'm no fool Sagara-san. You're a beast of a man. Even I have my limits in a fight. Besides, you're not the only one who's taken note as to where the fair lady lies. My pistol is filled with bullets. If you insist on being so cocky you'll see how quickly I can empty the entire chamber into her."

Sano was unmoved. He gazed steadily at Irushi as he slid the katana out of his belt and tossed it aside. "Is that so? If you insist on using a weapon then you choose one to use against me. I'm going to use these." He raised his hands and bashed his fists together. Irushi's eyes grew wide.

"You want to fight me with your bare hands?" He asked the question as if it were the strangest idea he had ever heard.

Sano cracked his knuckles and moved into his stance. "Why do you think I took this assignment? From the moment I heard that you had it in for Megumi all I could think about was beating you bloody. Go ahead and choose your weapon. I'm ready for you."

Sano knew that his indifference struck a nerve inside the mind of Kyuuto Irushi, and he hoped that it stayed in his mind during their fight. He wasn't like Kenshin or the other masters of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, but he had figured out his own way of determining the mindset of his opponents. In getting to know Irushi he might have discovered a way to get into his head and weaken his fighting spirit. At least that's what Sano hoped. His plan could easily go in the other direction and make Irushi more focused on killing him. But the risk was worth it. He was tired of the whole situation already…and he was tired of having Megumi endure much more of this. He wanted it all to be over- even if it meant that he died alongside the damned warrior.

Irushi kept his eyes on Sanosuke as he tossed his pistol and blades aside. He kept his katana at his side, and drew it out of its sheath to hold it in one hand pointed at the gangster. He cocked his head to the side and shut one eye as if he were taking aim.

"You want to fight with just your fists, eh? Well, what can I say? As you wish." He moved in. Fast. His speed was something that Sano had forgotten to consider.

The strike was like Saitoh's Gatotsu. He took aim, and used one hand to plunge it forward as he closed the gap between them with immense speed. However he held it more like a pistol than a blade. It was as if he were mimicking the path of a bullet. At least that's what Sano thought as he felt the skin of his left arm rip. He had moved so that the sword merely grazed him. This left Irushi wide open which allowed Sano to move in and strike Irushi's weak point. The sword fell and the warrior dropped to his knees in white-hot pain. He moved forward now on all fours and let his nose drip a pool of blood on the floor beneath him.

Sano had learned from Saitoh long ago to exploit an opponents already existing injury. It was a dirty move and he knew it. Even if it resulted in the desired effect, he still wasn't proud of it.

"Some warrior you are. You left yourself wide open for that and didn't even think to block it. Is this fight over?"

A sharp pain in his leg was his answer. Sano howled as it buckled beneath him. Irushi had shot him with a gun that he had pulled out of hit boot.

Sano's left pant leg was soaked through with blood and it trailed behind him as he used his forearms to crawl away from Irushi. The pain seemed to come from all over. His arms were sliced bloody, and now his leg had a bullet lodged inside. The madman stood straight now with the pistol still in his hand. He moved slowly after Sano menacing the now crippled man who had used bad judgment once again.

"I warned you about being cocky Sagara-san. Now look at you."

Sano stopped and rolled over onto his back to look up at Irushi. He didn't want it to end like this. If this was it he at least wanted to face it head on.

"You are an exceptional fighter Sagara-san. I will give you that. The stories about you are more than I ever imagined. However, the difference between us is that you're not a killer. You didn't finish me off when I was down. There's no way around it. If you ever intend to stop me from destroying the Meiji government and the love of your life, you're going to have to kill me. "

Sano agreed. He had already told Kenshin that if it came to it he would kill Kyuuto Irushi. Megumi's life depended on it.

Megumi… 

He turned his head to look at her once again, but saw that she was gone. Had she awaken? Maybe a policeman had come to her aid as he had hoped and she was resting soundly, waiting for him. Sano sincerely hoped that was it. He wanted to see her again. He didn't want to die without looking at her for one last time. So when Irushi aimed his pistol Sano fought through the pain moved quickly and rolled into him to trip him over. He collided with a body that tumbled onto him, but his instinct to crush the enemy into a choking grip disappeared when he picked up the scent of perfume. He looked up and saw that Irushi still stood above him. A triumphant grin colored his face as he moved to aim the gun right at his head.

* * *

He ran as fast as he could through the hallways knowing that no one would stop him. He heard noises coming from below and knew that all the house guards and policemen were there. He had to stop them from fighting. He knew many had already died and he wanted to prevent any more deaths from occurring. He had agreed to help Saitoh if no one was killed and he realized now what a fool he was to go along with it. Saitoh would never enter into a confrontation where the odds did not include life or death. He had been naïve again and Kenshin wanted to kick himself for that. In order to resolve everything he knew he had to get to Kyuuto Irushi. He hoped that once he knew about Henry Austin, he would end the plan that he had orchestrated and surrender. It was Austin's wish and Kenshin hoped that the warrior would be true to his father and honor it. So much had happened, he wondered if Sanosuke ever imagined this outcome.

The holding cells were alive with battle and upon his arrival Kenshin was immediately spotted by one of Irushi's soldiers.

"The Battousai came to get killed too, huh?" Kenshin drew his sakaba sword when the soldier moved to strike. He seemed surprised that the rurouni was able to block him. "You should have stayed away. This is beyond anything you can fight," the soldier said and broke away to quickly strike again. He seemed to forget why Kenshin had once been called the Hitokiri Battousai. The redheaded samurai knew exactly where the strike would come from and therefore hit the man with a blow that sent him flying. Kenshin didn't bother to take note of where the man landed. He had more problems to deal with, as a group of soldiers came to welcome him with their swords. He waited until they looked like they were ready to ambush him, then he plowed through them.

He turned a corner, which brought him to the rows of cells and the men fighting in front of them. He fought his way through another two, then three warriors and finally caught sight of Saitoh. There were many policemen down and the wolf looked like he was having a difficult time with his opponents. He beat them all but each fight took more and more energy out of him. His eyes showed his fatigue more than anything, but they suddenly grew sharp and Kenshin found himself staring into the amber glare of Mibu's Wolf. His arrival seemed to rejuvenate him. Within seconds he was at Kenshin's side, steering him toward a less active corner and demanding a full report. His stony expression gave little indication that he was surprised.

"Is that true Battousai?"

"It is. Henry Austin is dead, but this will continue as long as Kyuuto Irushi is still alive. He is now the force behind this operation."

Saitoh took in the information, his eyes narrowing as he weighed in what it all meant. "Has Kyuuto Irushi been pulling the strings all this time?"

"It would seem so. I want to see if I can get to him, to tell him about Austin's death and his final wish."

The wolf raised an inquiring eyebrow. "And what would his dying wish be?" His contempt went right over Kenshin's head.

"He wants Irushi to surrender so that we can spare his life."

Saitoh's eyes narrowed even more until they were mere slits of yellow fire. "I haven't agreed to that, Battousai." His calm agreeable tone revealed nothing of the rage that now consumed him.

Kenshin glanced up at him meeting the glare with one of his own. "You know my position on this, Saitoh. I didn't agree to let so many people die today. My objective now is to prevent anymore people from being killed, and that includes Kyuuto Irushi."

Saitoh hated to be pushed into a corner, especially one where he was unable to do things his way. He saw Kenshin as a very useful ally, but his philosophies would forever irritate him. He figured that was the price he had to pay for his help. He shrugged his shoulders.

"You think Kyuuto Irushi deserves the chance to surrender, and I think he deserves to die."

Kenshin looked away to observe the activity around them. "No one deserves to die, Saitoh."

"I beg to differ. We all deserve to meet our end; it's just the way we meet it that determines whether we got what was coming to us. Austin for example, is a petty, miserable being who didn't deserve to die with a clean conscious. He deserved to die in misery and I regret that I was not there to grant it."

Kenshin remained quiet. He realized long ago that there was no use trying to get the wolf to consider other options besides the Aku Soku Zan philosophy that was drilled into him.

"I feel sorry for Kyuuto Irushi."

Kenshin hadn't expected that from the wolf. He shot him a curious glance.

"He's fighting for a cause that isn't his, in a nation that he despises for a nation that despises him. He's been in control of everything but he really has no purpose without Austin. Now that the old man is gone he really has no reason to live. He deserves to die."

He looked around just as Kenshin had and caught sight of something that alarmed him. He blinked contemplatively and added, "Do what you must until I think the occasion calls for my interference. If you think that Irushi will agree to a truce then I will gladly call off my men. But somehow I have a feeling that I'm going to have my way after all. You haven't asked me anything about my protégé or his love, Battousai. You're getting forgetful."

Kenshin looked around again and saw Sanosuke battling Irushi without a weapon. His first reaction was to bolt forward to help his friend, but Saitoh read the intention all over him. "Leave him. This is his fight."

Kenshin froze. He was right. He couldn't just rush over and intervene, especially in this fight. Sano was doing this for Megumi and Kenshin had said that he wouldn't get in his way, even if it meant Irushi's demise. So the rurouni stayed there with Saitoh who prepared to signal his guards to stop when the gunshot rang through the air. As the fighting had begun to subside the sound resonated and caught the attention of everyone. All the spectators saw Saitoh's top undercover officer fall to the ground in his own blood. His body was a mass of cuts and now he had a hole in his left leg that bled freely.

Kenshin took off.

He moved quickly through the crowd dodging the warriors who chanced a shot to strike him down, so he never noticed the shadow that headed in the same direction. They both had the same purpose but she reached Sanosuke before he did allowing him to see her desperate determination.

_Megumi, no!_

Kenshin drew his sword. This had to end now. Irushi's attention was on Sano and the now fallen Megumi, so Kenshin used the opportunity to leap into the air, fly down and connect with his Hiten Mitsturugi Ryu Tsiu Sen. The shock on Irushi's face mirrored that of his soldiers who gaped in horror at their leader. He had no feeling in his legs and they buckled beneath him so that he crumbled to the ground.

The humiliation kept him from passing out too quickly. _It can't be over just like that!_ Irushi's mind raged. His legs were useless, and he could barely lift his head off of the ground, much less turn it to the side. He lay on the floor facing one side, the only scene in sight being the woman scramble to her knees beside her man. It made him sick. He still gripped the gun, which meant he still had use of his arms. He used his most subtle moves, and aimed straight for the woman's chest. It would be impossible for her to love him with a hole in her heart, he mused bitterly as he pulled the trigger of his gun- and then fell asleep to the sound of her gasp of pain.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates.

Four dingy walls and a concrete floor were all he had to look upon during his stay inside one of the holding cells of Kyoto's police department. Kyuuto Irushi sat on the cold floor with his knees drawn to his chest and his head lowered so that his forehead pressed against his knees. He wasn't tired, and he wasn't hungry. He was merely shocked that it all ended so easily.

The Battousai had informed him that Mr. Austin was dead. All of his soldiers were arrested, and the house was seized by the police for further investigation into their plot against the Meiji government. Mr. Austin's body was placed onto a boat headed for America where he would be buried in his family's plot, much to the chagrin of the Mississippi police who wanted to execute him and bury him in a pauper's grave.

Irushi lifted his head and looked up at the window of his cell door. He saw shadows of the guards pass back and forth, and heard faint voices whisper in the darkness. He thought of the Battousai again. That man had single-handedly ended his vendetta and he couldn't bring himself to understand _how_. How could one man defeat him so easily? How could one man so dedicated to peace and pacifism, turn around and fight so aggressively? The Battousai was an enigma he wished to know more about, but his present situation wouldn't allow him much time for that. It had been decided at the time of his recovery, he was to be executed for his crimes. The government wanted no information from him. They wanted nothing to do with his talent for gunplay, or his sword skills. They just wanted him dead, so he knew that either his days or his hours alive were numbered. It was all over and in the end he had nothing to show for it. His head dropped down again. He heard more voices in the hallway and two distinct ones drew closer and closer to his cell.

"I can't let you go inside! A terrible man sits in that cell awaiting his death. Letting you inside will endanger you as well as myself."

"I was given special permission by Inspector Fujita to enter this man's cell. This letter states his commands and the condition that an armed policeman is to accompany me. It doesn't state that you specifically have to be that policeman. If this makes you uncomfortable then I will gladly go alone."

Irushi raised his head slowly. He recognized the voice. It was that woman's voice. He heard a heavy sigh follow her statement and then two sets of footsteps continue toward his cell. He dropped his knees so that he could sit with his legs crossed and let his bound hands dangle between his knees. His cell door opened and a flood of light entered the room followed by a guard and the woman who was responsible for all of his trouble. The guard stayed at the door while she took a few more steps until she was only a foot away from him. He had to look up at her, and he gave her a quick once over not liking what he saw one bit. She had a piece of cloth tied around her neck that elevated her left arm so that it hung at her bosom. _Why the hell isn't she dead?_

"How did you get that injury?" He chose to disregard the usual pleasant greetings and get right to the point.

She merely looked at him in quiet observation. "You shot me."

He peered at his handiwork. "I aimed for your heart."

She raised her right hand and lightly touched her shoulder. "You missed. Thankfully."

He shook his head and then looked away in disgust. He couldn't come away from this ordeal with anything, not even her death. He really had lost everything. He turned slightly to glance at her from the corner of his eye. "What's happened to Sagara-san?"

She studied him for a moment before answering. "He's been in the hospital recovering. The doctors won't let him walk until the hole in his leg has healed, which is good since he is not to do much of anything else either to let the wounds in his arms and chest heal."

Irushi turned to fully face her. "He doesn't seem like the type who would be happy about that." He seemed unlike the monster she had encountered just one week before. His calm, humble demeanor unnerved her for she wasn't ready to feel sorry for him.

"Uh, no he's not happy about it." She stood there in the middle of the cell not knowing what else to say to this man. She had been prepared to tear into him, but his genuine concern for Sanosuke threw her off completely. She was sure it was genuine. There didn't seem to be anything insincere about it.

She heard movement and looked to see him shifting his position on the floor so that he sat formally before her with his feet tucked beneath him. He scanned the floor and then looked up at her apologetically. "I would ask you to sit but your kimono would get ruined on this filthy floor."

She didn't respond. She didn't move to sit either. She stood there wondering if there was a purpose to this visit. Why had she been compelled to see this man before he died? He looked expectantly at her and then broke the awkward silence.

"Takani Megumi, is your name I presume? I'm curious to know why you chose to visit me. I caused you a lot of trouble, so perhaps you're here to gloat and to tell me that I'm getting exactly what I deserve?"

Megumi stared at him as if he were a ghost. _Goodness, was this man a mind reader?_ she wondered as she shook her head in response. "I'm not sure why I came here, but I'm certainly not happy that you're going to die. It goes against everything that I believe in as a doctor, and as a human being."

Irushi smirked at that. "That's very kind of you. Doctors strive to save every human life that they encounter. However, you're out of your league in this case Takani-sensei. You can't save mine."

"You're right, I can't save you, but I can listen to you."

Irushi glared sharply at her. He knew where this was going. "I'm not going to tell you that I regret anything I've done. Nor am I going to tell you that I'm sorry that so many people had to die for Mr. Austin's selfish desires. What I do regret is that I didn't kill Sanosuke, or you."

The guard at the door turned to fix his icy gaze on Irushi. He noticed it right away. "This policeman misunderstands me, Takani-Sensei as do you. My failure to kill you both means that my skills were not good enough to withstand a blow from the Battousai. A stronger opponent beat me, and therefore I deserve what I'm getting. It really is a shame. Everything that I was to do for Mr. Austin will never happen." His gaze softened, as he seemed to wander into his thoughts. "You see, even though Mr. Austin is dead I wasn't going to stop. It's just like what I told Sagara-san, to stop me you have to kill me. So I don't regret any of it."

Megumi just stared at him expressionless, and nodded her head as if she understood. Irushi relaxed again and shifted back to sitting with his legs crossed. "You know, despite my one regret I like Sagara-san and I like you, so I'm glad you're both okay." He paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Do you have what you came for?"

The question threw Megumi off more than anything that Irushi had just said. She wasn't even sure why she had come, but strangely enough she felt the closure sinking in and lifting the burden of the entire nightmare from her shoulders. Now it became clear to her. She wanted closure, and as far as she was concerned she now had it and there was no need to take up more of Irushi's time. She nodded her head in response and he smiled a genuine smile of content.

"Good. Now I assume that you have no other business with me?" he asked.

Megumi shook her head. "No I don't, so I will leave you now." She turned to the guard. "I'm ready to go." Before she passed through the doorway she looked back one last time at Irushi. He watched her go out into the light of the hallway, and then the door shut and left him in darkness once again.

He was oddly glad to have seen her. Not that he wanted forgiveness or anything. He wanted to die knowing that what he had done wasn't in vain even if it meant giving his enemy peace of mind after her horrible experience. As pathetic as that was he was willing to accept it. He heard footsteps once again and this time he knew that they were headed for his cell. The time had arrived and he was ready for it.

The door opened and the light from the hallway illuminated the tall, wiry figure that had now come for him. Irushi couldn't see his face but he knew who it was. He caught the scent of cigarette smoke.

"I appreciate you letting that beautiful woman come in to see me. Her lovely face will stay in my mind as I die."

The figure stepped into the room and closed the door. His katana gleamed momentarily as the light reflected off it. Irushi stared at it. There was no sense being afraid. A warrior always expected this outcome should he face the shame of failure, and he had failed Mr. Austin, so he was ready to accept his due punishment. He bowed his head, his eyes fixed on his bound hands. "I thought the Battousai would be here to witness this, or perhaps Sagara-san."

The man took a step toward him. "The Battousai doesn't believe in this kind of justice, and my officer is still recuperating. Besides, this kind of scene isn't in his nature."

Irushi lifted his head to look up into the man's sharp yellow eyes. "It seems odd for someone like you to care about something like that. He is a good fighter, though. Perhaps even you, Saitoh Hajime found something to admire about him."

The wolf was as impassive as ever. His eyes fixed readily upon him as he raised his katana. "No. It's just like you said, he's not a killer. And just like I informed the Battousai, I get to have my way after all."

* * *

Sano didn't think it was right. His body was battered beyond the limits of pain and here he was lunging forward to catch his best friend so that he wouldn't smash his head on the floor. Kenshin had fainted when he heard the news from Kaoru and Sano had to admit that he felt a little lightheaded too. He openly gawked at her, which in turn made her so uncomfortable that she burst into tears. This scared Sano more than her fits of rage. He turned to exchange spooked expressions with Yahiko, who explained.

"She's been like that since you guys got back. Megumi says it's her body and mind reacting to the pregnancy. She doesn't know what to do with herself."

Sano shook Kenshin's still unconscious form hoping to wake him up. He chanced a glance at Kaoru who had miraculously recovered. She kneeled beside Kenshin and cupped his face in her hands. "Kenshin, can you hear me? Please, be okay. I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean to let it happen." His eyelids fluttered open and his foggy gaze fixed on her face. Kaoru's cheeks turned red and she shifted her eyes shamefully away from his. Sano had never seen her like this before.

He backed away and painfully stood up, remembering that he had been shot in the leg a few weeks ago. He wondered if he would forever feel the ghost of the bullet. He wondered if Megumi would feel it too. He dismissed the thought and moved to help Kenshin to his feet. The rurouni shook his red head and looked apologetically at everyone.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to make everyone worry. Kaoru, are you okay?"

Kaoru jumped at the mention of her name. He had finally dropped the dono.

"Uh, sure I'm fine. My stomach gets queasy but other than that I'm okay. What about you?"

Kenshin smiled as he gazed at her. She looked so beautiful, even more so than ever. "I'm grateful."

Kaoru felt her eyes fill with tears. These sudden mood changes were going to drive her crazy, but the way Kenshin looked at her at that moment made all of her anxieties drift away. "What do you mean?"

He took her hand inside both of his and pressed it against his chest. She felt his heartbeat quicken at her touch. "I'm grateful that I survived and I'm grateful to be back here with you."

Sano couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy as he watched his two friends. He also couldn't help but feel that he should leave them alone. He looked at Yahiko who had the same thing in mind.

"We should go, Sanosuke. They have a lot to talk about."

Sano studied the young samurai wondering when he had grown so sensible and mature. "You're right about that."

"Yes he is. We have lots of planning to do for the wedding."

Sano and Yahiko were about to make their way outside but instead they froze in their spots. The mischievous voice also caught Kenshin and Kaoru's attention as Megumi's sudden appearance into the sitting room caused everyone to go silent. She settled down into a spot at the table oblivious of the stares directed at her. Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged looks then she turned to the Megumi to clarify.

"Megumi, what are you talking about?"

The foxy doctor looked at Kaoru as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. "I'm talking about your wedding you silly girl. There's so much to do. We have to start right away, right Ken-san?"

To everyone's surprise, the redhead nodded. "This one agrees completely."

Sanosuke's lightheadedness almost overcame him. It wasn't like Kenshin to agree so easily to something without thinking heavily on it. He looked disapprovingly at the woman he loved realizing that she was a sneaky little vixen. "Hey fox, Kenshin just took a hard fall. He doesn't know what he's agreeing to, right Kenshin?"

The rurouni put an arm around a shocked Kaoru and shook his head. "I know what I'm doing. I'd like this to be a nice party for Kaoru."

"Oooh, we're having a party?"

Dr. Genzai poked his head in when he arrived and then stepped inside when he heard the news. "What are we celebrating?"

"A wedding. Kenshin and Ugly's," Yahiko answered silently happy to see the angry glint return to Kaoru's eyes. He had to keep her in check after all. The old man glanced knowingly at him, and then clapped his hands together.

"A wedding? Well then what are we waiting for? Megumi I'd love to help you. I need you in the clinic right now, but walk with me and we'll talk about what has to be done for the party. This is so exciting!"

Sano looked on in dismay as the old doctor and the foxy doctor made their way out of the dojo, jabbering away about preparations. They tossed an order to Yahiko to make catering arrangements with the Akebeko, and Sano heard his name in reference to picking up the sake. He sighed and followed the trio out, Yahiko going one way and Dr. Genzai and Megumi heading in another. Sano decided to head home for a while until it was time to pick up Megumi. They all said their goodbyes to each other and walked off forgetting about the couple that stood silently in the middle of the room.

"Kenshin, what just happened?" Kaoru looked up, her eyes meeting his. He never realized how much he loved to look into her blue eyes.

"It sounds like we're getting married."

Those words came from Kenshin's lips but she still had a difficult time believing them. This had to be a dream. "Getting married…" she said absently her mind wandering as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Getting married. To the man she had loved since the day she met him. It couldn't be true. She felt his cheek press against her hair still unable to believe it.

"Is this okay with you Kaoru?"

She lifted her head to look into his eyes again. For the first time since he received her news he looked apprehensive, but not from the prospects of becoming a parent. He actually looked like he was afraid that her answer to him would be no. He could be so silly sometimes.

"Yes, it is. Are you okay with it?"

He looked relieved and nodded. Then he kissed her.

* * *

The nighttime air was brisk causing Sanosuke to hunch his shoulders against the occasional biting wind that made it's way inside his gi jacket. It never occurred to him to close the jacket since he assumed the bandages would be sufficient protection against the elements, so he stood outside the clinic and waited for Megumi while he shivered. He prayed she wouldn't be that much longer. He wanted to get his arms around her again and hold her for a while just to know that she was safe, and to take in some of her body heat so that he could stop shaking. When she finally came outside he did just that, suffocating her within his large arms. She let him squeeze until her breathing came close to becoming a difficult task, and then they went on their way, his arm wrapped around her shoulder and her arm around his waist.

Their relationship had progressed quickly in the weeks after their encounter with Kyuuto Irushi. Sano had given up his tiny apartment and moved into the small home she had settled into. He still worked for the police department, however his days as an undercover agent were over. Saitoh felt the case gave him too much exposure so that the general public and those in the underground now knew that Sano was a cop. Megumi was relieved about that, but the fact that he still answered to Saitoh Hajime didn't give her much comfort. She wondered why he insisted on having Sanosuke work for him. She even posed the question to Sano once who brushed it off as a subject that he never wanted to delve into, so she just let it go after a while and accepted it.

After the ordeal with Kyuuto Irushi Megumi felt it would be a long time before that name slipped from her memory. She knew she couldn't forget him completely, much as she would like to. Odd as it was, it was the threat of Kyuuto Irushi and Mr. Austin that brought she and Sano together, so their names would forever be connected to their love story.

Their home wasn't very far from the clinic, and since they enjoyed their walk so much they went past it and continued down the road in the direction of town. So many things had happened, and so many new things were about to take place. She was glad for the peace they had now and looked forward to the time when she and Sano would take the step Kenshin and Kaoru were about to take. She grinned as she thought about the events of the morning. It had been a good morning indeed.

"What are you smiling at, fox? You thinking about how you tricked Kenshin and Jo-chan into getting married?"

Megumi's grin faded. "I don't know what you're talking about. I merely brought up plans to arrange the obvious. You act as if you think their wedding wasn't going to eventually happen."

Sano felt her body tense, as she grew defensive so he hugged her tightly to him to relax her. "Ah, maybe you're right. Kenshin might have waited until Kaoru gave birth before he proposed, so you did good for our friends, Megumi- and for our enemy."

Megumi stopped walking and pulled slowly out of Sano's embrace. She raised her gaze slowly to meet his, which was absolutely unreadable. _Damn that Saitoh and his training!_

"I heard you went to visit him a few weeks ago."

_And damn that Saitoh for having a big mouth. _

"I did. I wanted to see him before he was executed."

Sano studied Megumi closely. "Did you talk much?"

She shook her head. "He did most of the talking. I just listened. I offered to do that for him and so he was able to get some things out of his mind before…" She stopped talking and stared up at him. "Is he-?"

Sano nodded. "He's dead, Megumi. It's over."

Over.

Their troubles were now over and they were able to look forward to a future together. Megumi never imagined that word could be associated with a new beginning. In all her life she never imagined she would get to a point where she could be happy to be alive. She took Sano's hand, the one she bandaged numerous times in the past, and held it up to her cheek.

It felt good to finally _be_ happy.

THE END

* * *

**A/N**: Thanks to all who gave my story a chance, and special thanks to those who stayed with it 'til the end. I do apologize for taking so long to complete it. I have to admit that I'll miss writing more, but it did have to end sometime and I felt that this was a good point to conclude it. Anyway, thanks again for reading and for the encouragement that I received throughout. Until next time…

-M. Kasshoku


End file.
